An Abundance of Third Wheels
by Emmyjean
Summary: Harry is beginning to realize his true feelings for Ginny - but only as she becomes involved with someone else. Is it too late? COMPLETE! :)
1. An Abundance of Third Wheels

Title: "An Abundance of Third Wheels" 

Author: Emmyjean (emmyjeanb@yahoo.com)

Classification: H/G, R/H, G/Other, Multiple POV

Summary: Ron and Hermione are finally a couple, and Harry is only beginning to realize his true feelings for Ginny - but is it too little, too late? Set during Harry's seventh year.

Spoilers: Through Goblet of Fire

Rating: PG

Notes: Everything belongs to Rowling.

****

PART ONE

Ginny Weasley stood behind her brother Ron at the platform, idly tapping her foot as she waited for the conductor to take her trunk so that she could board. She sighed a little and looked here and there, occasionally giving little waves to people that she knew. Finally, the man grabbed her trunk and hoisted it with a grunt into the luggage car - Ginny winced as she heard it loudly crash into the other various bags and things.

Justin Finch-Fletchley sighed as he watched her step onto the Hogwarts Express in advance of her brother's friend, Hermione Granger. He knew this meant he most likely wouldn't see her until they arrived at Hogwarts hours later - to anyone else, it would have seemed a silly complaint, but to Justin it was not a light prospect.

He had been waiting all summer to see Ginny Weasley again.

Stepping up the stairs onto the train himself, he thought back to how he had gotten into this odd predicament. It hadn't been until the year before that he had truly begun to see Ginny Weasley as anything more than Ron Weasley's little sister...he supposed she got much the same treatment from most people. It wasn't as though she didn't have her own friends - in fact, Justin reflected, she was quite popular now with the girls in her year. It only stood to reason...she was one of the kindest, most gentle people he had ever met in his life. 

Justin raised his eyebrows in some irritation as he noticed a group of young Ravenclaw girls staring at him and giggling. He was used to it, but today it was beginning to irritate him. He was a seventh-year Hufflepuff, and had been told by many that he was not hard on the eyes. He wasn't qualified to make that kind of evaluation himself, of course...his face was the same one he had to look at every day in the mirror, and he didn't personally find himself particularly entrancing. However, it seemed to be that his admirers were correct - he found himself constantly followed by girls of all houses and ages. He considered this for a moment, and conceded that he had taken advantage of this from time to time...but he was only human, after all.

As he passed various compartments while walking down the narrow hallway on the train, he told himself he was merely looking for the one in which his friends had surely saved him a seat...but he knew that truthfully, there was something else he was hoping to see. He nearly stopped when he caught a glimpse of it - of her. He spotted her red hair immediately, and felt the hair on his arms stand up as he recognized her distinctive, musical laugh. He couldn't very well stand there gawking, so he walked on to where his friends were waiting. After having said his hellos, he proceeded to stare out the window at the passing scenery and brood. It wasn't as if he wasn't happy to see his friends, as he had also been looking forward to that, but he had simply been put in a somber mood at the sight of Ginny.

He knew exactly when this had all begun...it was the previous year, right at the end. In May...he remembered this very well, indeed. He had been asked by Professor Sprout to venture into the garden one Saturday and check to see that the **** were growing at an acceptable rate. Sprout was the head of his house, Hufflepuff, and he was her prize student as Herbology was his best subject. He hadn't wanted to spend his day off doing this, he recalled, but had conceded because he didn't mind doing favors for Sprout as much. He had walked through the greenhouse and was just about to pull the door open to go out the back, when someone practically threw it open and crashed right into him. 

It was Ginny Weasley.

He had grabbed her shoulders to keep her from falling backwards from the force of the collision, and she had dropped the potting spade she had been holding in her hand with a small gasp. It was then that he looked at her upturned face - and his heart had done a curious little flip that it had never before done at the sight of a girl. Ginny was far from looking her best at that moment - her hair was tied back haphazardly in something that wasn't quite a twist and not really a ponytail, she had dirt smudges all over her face which mingled oddly with her freckles, and her forehead was shining with perspiration.

She was the prettiest thing he had ever seen.

This struck him as being odd, as he had never given her much of a thought before this. He recalled the incident with the Chamber of Secrets in his second year, but he hadn't even given that matter much thought in years. He supposed that he had still imagined her as the scared little girl he had seen once the entire school had found out about that...it hadn't occurred to him that she would have grown up. 

Justin sighed and glanced at his companions...they were all asleep. He shook his head disdainfully, but smiled nonetheless. They had probably all been up packing into the wee hours of the morning, making sure they had everything they would need all year. True Hufflepuffs always come prepared. Anyway, the fact that they were sleeping meant he didn't have to engage in conversation and could remain lost in thought until he was satisfied. He gave a short laugh at his choice of words...there was only one thing that could accomplish that.

He remembered that day in the garden with perfect clarity, as if he had recorded it in his mind. He remembered that she had been there on Professor Sprout's permission to do some catching up for the week, as she had been out sick for a couple of days. She had been having trouble with the lesson, as it had never been explained to her by a teacher, and had just been running off to fetch her friend Hermione to help when she had bumped into him. Justin smiled as he remembered enthusiastically helping her with her lesson, and how she had been so receptive to his direction. No misplaced pride at having to ask questions, as so many Gryffindors sometimes had, but rather avid curiosity and the tendency to ask more questions than were necessary simply to know more. Normally this might have annoyed him, as he had not signed up that day to play tutor, but instead he reveled in it. Leaving the greenhouse that day and walking back to the castle with her, laughing and talking about normal things, he thought that he had never felt as comfortable around a girl...or as completely elated to simply be with someone. They had parted ways, each heading toward their own common rooms, but he had been watching her ever since. He spoke to her when he got the opportunity, but most often she was with her friends or her brothers...and he didn't want to run up against the Weasley boys.

Suddenly, Justin felt himself being shaken awake by his friend Martin. He rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger and realized that he must have followed suit and dozed off like his friends. He was slightly irritated by this, as he was now groggy and out of sorts, but dutifully stood up and followed the others as they went to disembark. As they waited for the carriages to arrive, his eyes scanned the crowd almost involuntarily for a flash of red hair. He felt his stomach jolt as he realized she was standing not five feet away from him with her brother and his friends. She wasn't saying anything, but was intently listening to something Ron was saying to Harry Potter.

Justin felt a wave of resentment overcome him at the sight of Potter. He liked him well enough, he truly did, but when it came to Ginny Weasley - he thought Harry Potter was the worst kind of blind fool. He had what Justin could only wish for, and he wasn't talking about fame or fortune...Justin's family was quite rich in their own right. Glory? He could take it or leave it, as notoriety didn't really matter to him. What he did have, and what Justin wanted more than anything else, were the affections of Ginny. He had her heart, and Justin could only see this because he studied her so closely. Her eyes were always on Potter, just as Justin's eyes were always on her. She was as oblivious to him as Potter was to her. 

He had to laugh bitterly at the irony.

Just then, Ginny's brown eyes suddenly strayed from Potter's face and swept the crowd - and Justin thought he would suffocate as her gaze focused on him. She smiled a huge, genuine smile, and began to make her way toward him. She was in front of him within seconds, her soft chocolate eyes looking straight into his blue ones. She had only grown more beautiful over the summer, he thought.

"Hullo, Justin! It's good to see you," she greeted warmly.

"You, too," he replied expertly, without a trace of nervousness. Justin Finch-Fletchley was never nervous around girls, because he knew he could have any one he wanted. It was a skill he had unknowingly honed, and it had never taken effort until this instant, with this girl.

"What have you been doing with yourself all summer? Nothing terrible, I hope?" she teased, her eyes sparkling in the moonlight. However, she was not flirting - just being friendly. As much as Justin wished the opposite.

He flashed her a smile, and caught a few other girls staring longingly at him out of the corner of his eye. Ignoring them, he replied,

"Oh, I would imagine you would find it all terribly boring, but that's as terrible as it gets."

She laughed, and his heart soared to hear it directed at him. He furrowed his brows slightly at himself - he wasn't accustomed to having his heart soar.

"Well, I'm sure you could come up with some good stories to tell me if you tried very hard," she said.

He grinned in return to show her that perhaps she was right, and then asked, 

"What have you been up to, hmm? Breaking hearts all across Ottery St. Catchpole?" he asked.

She laughed again, and replied, "Oh, no...nothing of the sort. I barely got out of the house."

"And why's that?"

She shrugged, and answered airily, "Oh, there's just so much work to be done when you've got five teenaged boys living in one house. My mum was keen to have help, I imagine."

"And none of them lifted a finger? That's shameful, really. My hardworking Hufflepuff sensibilities are insulted!" he joked.

"Yes, I agree!" she giggled, "To think, the only one who even offered was Harry, and he was a guest!"

Justin felt his spirits plummet at the reminder that Harry Potter had been staying with the Weasleys over the summer. It was a matter which Justin had attempted to forget over the holiday, and being reminded didn't do much for his opinion of Potter at the moment. He smiled and nodded at Ginny, then lifted his eyes for a moment to see if he could catch a glimpse of the lucky bastard. He caught sight of him, and started slightly.

Harry Potter was looking straight at him. He was wearing an odd look on his face, and the only word Justin could think of to describe it at all was...dirty. Justin frowned back at him...what was the problem? He hadn't even spoken to him all day, and couldn't possibly have done anything to make him angry. As Harry caught Justin's frown, he seemed to become even more put out and opened his mouth abruptly to call,

"Ginny!"

Ginny turned quickly at the sound of his voice, and Justin felt a pang of disappointment at her apparent eagerness to see what Harry needed. Harry gave her a tight smile and, his eyes flickering to Justin for the briefest second, he waved her over to the carriage that had just stopped in front of them.

She looked apologetically back at Justin for a moment and said, "I'm sorry, Justin, but I've got to run off. I'll see you at the banquet, alright?"

With that, she scurried over to where Harry Potter held the door open for her, and followed her brother Ron inside. Harry shot Justin another odd look before he himself entered the coach, but Justin could have sworn he read the tiniest glimmer of triumph in his green eyes.

__

To Be Continued in Chapter Two

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	2. An Abundance of Third Wheels (Chapter Tw...

Title: "An Abundance of Third Wheels" 

Author: Emmyjean

Classification: H/G, R/H, G/Other, Multiple POV

Summary: Ron and Hermione are finally a couple, and Harry is only beginning to realize his true feelings for Ginny - but is it too little, too late? Set during Harry's seventh year.

Spoilers: Through Goblet of Fire

Rating: PG

Notes: Everything belongs to Rowling.

****

PART TWO

He didn't know what had made him do it.

It wasn't something he had planned, or something he was particularly proud of having done in front of the entire school. He reckoned that at least no one had noticed as he glanced a tad nervously in Ron's direction. Ron, for his part, paid Harry no heed as he animatedly explained some Quidditch term to a very disinterested Hermione. Satisfied that Ron's attentions were clearly fixed elsewhere, he turned his gaze as subtly as he could to Ginny, who was gazing out the window as the carriage swept along the road leading to Hogwarts. 

He wondered briefly what she was thinking before retreating to his own thoughts.

There was absolutely no justification for the way he had just acted toward Justin. It was bad enough that he had felt it necessary to interrupt a conversation he was having with someone - with Ginny - to beckon her to the coach he was holding, but Harry knew that he had been rather unpleasant about it as well. The worst part about it was that it was completely uncalled for, and he wasn't referring only to the hostile way he had acted - Ginny would have been just as happy to ride with her own friends . In fact, she had probably been planning on it, and for Harry to have made the assumption that she would be riding with the three of them was rather presumptuous.

Sighing, he leaned his head back on the seat, removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes as he did so. Memories began to drift into his mind of the summer that had just passed, and couldn't help wishing once again that it hadn't ended. 

**__**

LATE JULY

He heard a twig snap, and his head shot up.

Ginny Weasley was standing not ten feet away, her hands behind her back and her red hair glowing in the sunlight. He squinted into the bright afternoon sun, trying to make out her expression. The leaves on the trees were casting shadows on her face, which was to his great surprise showing no signs of shyness. She was unsure if her presence was wanted, obviously...but she was smiling warmly at him as she approached.

"Hi, Harry. What are you doing?" she asked quietly.

He looked down at the book in his lap and then smiled back at her, "Oh...well, reading, but the ulterior motive was actually..."

"To let Ron and Hermione spend some time together?" she finished, raising her eyebrows knowingly.

He nodded, a tad surprised that she guessed. He knew that Ron and Hermione, having just become a couple at the end of last term, would be wanting some time alone. However, they would never in a million years ask him to give them that opportunity, and so he made himself scarce of his own accord.

She laughed a little and walked over to sit beside him, leaning up against the tree. She wasn't close enough to be touching him at all, but she was close enough that he could smell the gardenias she was holding in one hand. He found himself marveling at how much she had changed over the past couple of years - she was no longer the timid little girl he had once known. 

"Yes, I know. I've been trying to keep out of their way a bit more than usual as well. I would imagine it's quite hard to find time alone in a house you're sharing with six other people, wouldn't you?"

He nodded in response, thinking that apparently he and Ginny weren't having any trouble. Probably because they were not seeking solitude...things always seemed to work out that way. He considered this mutely for a moment, remotely aware that he should say something to keep the conversation flowing, but unable to think of anything. As it turned out, she saved him the trouble. 

"It's a beautiful morning, isn't it?" she commented lightly, her brown eyes squinting in the bright sunlight.

He looked at her, and she returned his gaze with a spark of humor in her glance. She continued,

"It's much too nice to be reading a book, Harry. I'm a fan of books as well, but...not on a day like this."

He looked stupidly down at his open page, thinking as the sun's reflection on the white paper nearly blinded him that she was right. He laughed slightly at himself, thinking that Hermione would be proud if she could see him now. He finally looked at Ginny once again, as she was now waiting for him to say something.

"Well then...what do you suggest I do?"

She smiled, and replied, "Well...I was just about to take a walk into the village to pick up some groceries for Mum, and I thought maybe you could provide me with some company."

Her voice faltered a bit nervously as she finished the sentence, or perhaps Harry's mind was allowing him to see things that weren't really there. Either way, he stared at her for a moment, completely taken aback by her forward behavior. Well, it wasn't forward in itself...just friendly. For Ginny Weasley, however - at least the Ginny he knew - it was practically brazen. Nevertheless, he could see his scrutiny was making her uncomfortable and attempted to lighten the tone again.

"What's in it for me, then?" he asked in mock seriousness. She leaned slightly towards him and, with a straight face, replied solemnly,

"If we do the shopping...we get to decide what Mum's to make for dinner all week."

He smiled genuinely now, and she returned it happily. He closed his book and said, 

"Deal."

They walked the relatively short way into the town, talking about this and that. Harry was a bit shocked to realize, in the little dose of quality time he was fortunate enough to be spending with her that afternoon, that he hadn't really known Ginny Weasley at all. In fact, all this behavior which he had deemed uncharacteristic was, quite possibly, completely within character for her...he had simply not been aware enough of who she really was to be able to judge. This thought made him strangely depressed, and he realized then that he wouldn't mind getting to know Ginny a bit better over this summer - as long as Ron and Hermione were unknowingly providing them with ample opportunity.

It was nearly twilight when they got back to the cottage, and Harry felt inexplicably sorry that they had to rejoin the others. That night, the family ate on the beach, and when they had all decided it was time for bed and he had said his goodnights, Harry did something he had never done before - in addition to saying goodnight to the room in general, he had given a quiet goodnight to Ginny as well. 

Just Ginny. 

"Harry?"

He started and opened his eyes to find the blurry face of Hermione staring back at him. He donned his glasses once more, and found that she was looking at him with a concerned expression on her face. What else was new, he thought ruefully.

"Are you alright? You look...stressed," she ventured carefully. As she spoke, Ron studied his face carefully and Ginny turned from her observation of the dark landscape to look at him as well. Why was it that whenever he tried to withdraw into himself for a moment, people had to call attention to it? Wasn't everyone allowed an opportunity to think every once in awhile?

"I'm fine," he said shortly. Hermione didn't look convinced, but apparently decided not to press the matter any further and went back to arguing with Ron. Ginny, however, didn't return to what she had been doing. Harry didn't look at her, but he could see her out of the corner of his eye still studying him. He could feel his face getting hotter by the second under the scrutiny, and turned to stare out the window in hopes that she would lose interest. 

No one said anything else until they got to Hogwarts and stepped out of the carriages into the midst of the crowd of students heading for the castle. Harry walked slightly behind Ron and Hermione, glancing over at Ginny every once in awhile to see her laughing with her friends. He shook his head at himself...he didn't know what to do, and wished there was a potion that would make these feelings go away so that he wouldn't have to deal with them anymore.

After all, Ginny wasn't his...well, she wasn't his. That was all.

__

To Be Continued in Chapter Three

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The Hidden Tower

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	3. An Abundance of Third Wheels (Chapter Th...

Title: "An Abundance of Third Wheels" 

Author: Emmyjean

Classification: H/G, R/H, G/Other, Multiple POV

Summary: Ron and Hermione are finally a couple, and Harry is only beginning to realize his true feelings for Ginny - but is it too little, too late? Set during Harry's seventh year.

Spoilers: Through Goblet of Fire

Rating: PG

Notes: Everything belongs to Rowling.

****

PART THREE

"Goodnight, Justin. I had a very nice time with you today," Ginny said honestly they stood at the entrance to the Hufflepuff common room. Justin smiled down at her, a very fond look in his eyes. It made her face feel hot, but she didn't look away.

"I had a great time too, Ginny. I hope we can do it again sometime."

She nodded and smiled in return, and then said goodnight once more before turning and setting off in the direction of Gryffindor tower. She didn't hear the entrance to the Hufflepuff common room open for a few moments, and assumed that he must be watching her walk away. She self-consciously began to walk a bit faster...she wasn't accustomed to such attentions from boys - at least not boys like Justin Finch-Fletchley. She sighed, thinking about what she thought of all this notice Justin had been giving her lately.

She remembered the first time she had ever spoken to him - it was the day they had run into each other in the greenhouse, when she had been doing all that catch-up work for Professor Sprout. She hadn't known him well at all, and was feeling slightly awkward having to sit there with him alone. As a kind of attempt to break the ice, she asked him to help her with her studies. He had readily complied - a bit too readily, as she recalled.

She was more confused now than she had ever been - that day in the greenhouse had been nice, but she had never expected to really get another opportunity to speak to Justin on an individual basis after that. I mean, why would he talk to her? He was a popular, handsome, now seventh-year Hufflepuff...she was a shy, unassuming sixth-year Gryffindor. Not to take anything away from herself, but she had simply assumed that the opportunity would not arise. He had, however, sought her out on a few occasions before the year ended just to speak with her about how her herbology lessons were coming along, although it was clear that was some sort of excuse. He had approached her a week ago to invite her to spend the afternoon with him in Hogsmeade, and since then she had been on the receiving end of many jealous glares from Hufflepuff girls - and girls from other houses, as well.

Ginny laughed quietly to herself - if only they knew that she was having doubts about wanting Justin to persue her at all...if indeed that's what he was doing. She simply didn't know that she felt that way about him...and she refused to admit that this had anything at all to do with Harry Potter. Over the summer, they had become very good friends in their own right, having been pressed to spend time together in their avoidance of Ron and Hermione. She had been surprised to learn over the course of those two months that she had come to value her relationship with Harry as a genuine friend, and be able to accept it without wishing for something more. 

Well, she thought, without wishing for something more all the time at least. She realized that, once she got to know the real Harry, they got along splendidly and had more in common than she would have originally guessed. She had made a vow since that she would no longer let her thoughts stray to the romantic when considering him - that she was too happy with what they'd achieved to spoil it with girlish over-reaching.

She decided that she'd simply have to spend more time with Justin to decide about her true feelings for him - perhaps if there was anything fanciful lingering in her young heart for Harry, developing a real relationship with Justin would perhaps drive it out once and for all...and then they could all get on with their lives.

She stopped a few feet in front of the portrait hole...if anyone could make her forget completely that she had ever had _those_ feelings for Harry, it would be Justin. He was certainly nothing to scoff at as far as looks were concerned, and that was the least of his qualities.

Ginny approached the Fat Lady's portrait and gave her the password.

"Back a bit early, aren't you dear?" she inquired.

Ginny smiled pleasantly and replied, "Oh, I suppose so. My feet were tired."

The Fat Lady tutted understandingly and swung open. Ginny stepped into the common room, and was startled to see none other than Harry himself sitting in a chair by the fire, reading a book. He glanced up as she approached him, and he smiled and set the book down on his lap, rubbing his eyes under the glasses.

"Hey, Ginny...back already?"

Ginny frowned slightly and said, "Well, if I'm back early, then you must have come back hours ago! Unless..."

He looked up at her, and she could see the confirmation in his green eyes.

"Harry, why didn't you go?"

He shook his head slightly, and replied, "I had a lot of work to catch up on for Potions, and...well, it's alright. There was nothing I had to do there anyway."

Ginny took a seat in the chair opposite him, and leaned forward on her knees as she spoke.

"Hogsmeade is not about running errands, Harry. You know that better than anyone, I think...it's about getting away from the castle for a bit. And if I'm not mistaken, I think you NEED that more than anyone."

Harry returned her serious gaze for a moment, and then replied with a sigh, "Yeah, I know. I know. It's just that I wanted to give Ron and Hermione the chance to spend some time together away from school...they haven't had much of a chance, seeing as how Hermione's got her Head Girl duties now."

Ginny suddenly felt a strong pang of guilt at Harry's explanation...he hadn't gone to Hogsmeade because there had been no one for him to go _with_. She was certain Ron and Hermione had asked him to go, but Harry's insufferable nobility got in the way and prevented him from accepting. Meanwhile, she, who had acted as his so-called partner all summer in situations like this, had gone with someone else. She hadn't even thought to ask him what his plans were...how insensitive could she be?

"W-why didn't you just, um...go with Seamus and Dean? Or...someone?"

He looked at her for a moment, as though there were reasons he had that he didn't want to share with her, before replying,

"You know them...Seamus and Lavendar are practically joined at the hip, and Dean and Parvati spend all their time smashing their faces together."

Ginny's eyes widened in horror, and then she burst into uncontrollable laughter.

"Oh, Harry! What a romantic you are!"

He chuckled softly at her, and asked, "Well, come on now. Would YOU want to spend all day having to watch a spectacle like that?"

She shook her head and wiped her teary eyes, the fits of hilarity dying down a bit. She took a couple of deep breaths, and then said,

"You're terrible, Harry Potter."

He smiled warmly at her, and she almost melted when she looked into his eyes. Scolding herself, she looked quickly at her hands in her lap. She wasn't supposed to be thinking things like this anymore...not even shadows of her former feelings.

"I'll take that as a compliment," he replied softly.

She smiled, and decided she wasn't going to let this happen to him again. She didn't want all that they had accomplished over the summer to be lost during the hustle and bustle of the school year, and if it was within her power to provide him with a release from his unimaginable worries, she would.

"Harry?"

"Hmm?"

"Umm...how about we spend next Hogsmeade weekend together? Just you and me, for old times sake," she smiled up at him, and her eyes twinkled. Or at least she hoped they did.

He smiled back at her, a wide grin, and replied, "You're on. I can't think of anyone I..." 

He trailed off, his smile faltering a bit. She felt her cheeks flush.

"What?"

"Nothing," he said quickly, "I just, um...I'd like that."

She nodded, and stood up. He stood as well, clutching his book to his side. They stared at each other for a second, and then she said,

"Well, I think I'll go to bed. My feet are absolutely killing me."

He smiled at her and replied, "Yeah...I've still got to finish reading this before tomorrow."

She giggled, and his brows lowered in confusion.

"Then...why are you standing?" she asked innocently.

He seemed to think about it for a moment, and then replied, "Isn't it the gentlemanly thing to do? At least, that's what McGonagall always says."

She laughed once again, seeing that he was joking, and slapped him lightly on the arm for his trouble.

"Goodnight, Harry."

"'Nite, Ginny. I'll see you at breakfast."

As she climbed the stairs to her dorm, she found herself truly excited in anticipation of being able to spend an entire day with Harry again. When she stopped herself and wondered where her feelings were coming from, she decided firmly that there was nothing wrong with wanting to spend time with a good friend.

Nothing at all.

__

To Be Continued in Chapter Four

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The Hidden Tower

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	4. An Abundance of Third Wheels (Chapter Fo...

Title: "An Abundance of Third Wheels" 

Author: Emmyjean

Classification: H/G, R/H, G/Other, Multiple POV

Summary: Ron and Hermione are finally a couple, and Harry is only beginning to realize his true feelings for Ginny - but is it too little, too late? Set during Harry's seventh year.

Spoilers: Through Goblet of Fire

Rating: PG

Notes: Everything belongs to Rowling.

****

PART FOUR

__

August

_"Hey, will you wait up?"_

Ginny slowed down, rolling her eyes. She turned and looked at Harry over her shoulder, smirking as he caught up with her.

"Aren't you supposed to be athletic or something?" she asked him cheekily.

He raised an eyebrow at her and declared, "I have no room to train over the summer. I can't very well run laps around my tiny room at the Dursley's."

While others might have shown him pity in return for this revelation, Ginny merely arched her own eyebrow at him and replied, "A likely excuse...one that I'm sure Oliver Wood was never too keen to hear."

He laughed softly and tugged her ponytail. They continued walking, their eyes scanning the shoreline for any trace of Ron and Hermione, whom they were supposed to have been meeting for a picnic on the beach this afternoon. Ginny raised a hand to shield her eyes from the bright midday sun, and found it to be no use.

"For Merlin's sake!" she exclaimed indignantly, "How far could they possibly have gone?"

"Maybe we passed them," Harry suggested, shoving his hands in his pockets.

She looked at him, confused, and asked, "How on earth could we have done that? There aren't even any trees out here to block our view."

The corner of Harry's mouth twitched, and he replied innocently, "Well...if they were lying down at the time..."

Ginny cut him off with a loud "Tuh!", indicating quite clearly that she wasn't interested in hearing such talk about her brother, even as she couldn't help smiling back.

"Harry?"

"Hmm?"

"Doesn't it bother you at all?"

He stopped and turned to face her.

"What?"

She shrugged and pushed some sand this way and that with her bare foot.

"Oh...I don't know. This whole thing with Ron and Hermione...them being, well...together and all."

"Why would it bother me?" he asked.

She looked up at him and found him gazing off in the direction of the sea, and she knew full well then that it did bother him a little. She decided she might as well do some sharing of her own if she was going to expect him to share with her.

"Well, no one likes feeling left behind."

He looked up at her, and satisfied that she had cought his attention, she continued.

"When I was a first-year, I remember being so thrilled that I was going to be spending a lot of time with Ron again. You have no idea how lonely it was during that one year that he was gone and I had to stay home by myself with Mum and Dad."

Harry smiled at her, squinting in the sunlight, and said, "Oh, yes I do. Believe me, I wrote the book on being alone."

She shook her head at her own foolishness, and continued, "Right...right, sorry. Anyway, Ron and I used to spend loads of time together before he went off to Hogwarts. As kids, we were inseperable. Always talking about things, always confiding in each other, always playing pranks on the twins. The day Ron left for school, he gave me a hug and told me not to worry - that he wouldn't start having real fun until I got there the following year."

She took a breath, and went on. 

"Well...when I finally got to Hogwarts myself, I suppose I expected it to be the same as it had always been. I didn't think to consider that Ron had probably made his own friends, and that he probably wouldn't want to be going around with his little sister. It...it was very hard, that first year. Especially with...well, you know, all the things that happened to me."

Harry's attention didn't waver as she looked up at him, and in his eyes she saw complete comprehension. Encouraged by this, she continued.

"Well...I just thought that maybe...I mean, even though I'm sure you're very happy for them...maybe you get a bit irritated sometimes at being treated like a third wheel."

She looked up, praying that she hadn't offended him. He didn't seem offended, though...merely pensive. She decided she didn't need a response right away, if he didn't feel ready to share something like this with her.

"Let's turn back and walk the other way," she suggested, "Maybe we DID miss them."

They began walking in the opposite direction, and for awhile there was nothing but the roar of waves on the beach and the sound of their footsteps in the hot sand.

"You know something?" he said suddenly, making her jump slightly.

"What?"

He stopped again and looked at her. She faced him, a bit nervous that he was going to tell her off for prying into his carefully guarded personal affairs.

"You're right."

She blinked.

"I am?"

He nodded, and continued, "Even though I have been hoping for ages that those two would just admit their feelings for each other, I couldn't help also hoping that things between us wouldn't change. I suppose I was foolish to think that was possible."

"Not foolish," she interrupted, "Just...optimistic."

He shot her an ironic look, and she shrugged, prompting him to go on.

"I guess I didn't stop to think where I'd come into the whole thing...and sometimes, I do get tired of being the dutiful friend. Sometimes, I'd rather be the participating_ friend."_

She nodded understandingly, "I know you do. They're very lucky to have you as their friend at all."

They smiled at each other, then quickly looked away. Walking on in silence for a moment, neither one of them truly bothered to look for Ron and Hermione anymore. Then, Harry spoke again.

"Ginny?"

"Yes?"

He paused, then said, "I'm sorry about your first year."

She stopped now and turned to face him once again, and cried, "Oh, Harry...I didn't mean to make you feel guilty or anything! I don't begrudge you Ron's friendship, and I didn't, even then..."

"No, no," he interrupted, waving his hand in the air dismissively, "That's not what I meant. I meant...well, now that I think of it, that whole affair with Riddle's diary could have been prevented if we three hadn't been so thick. We should have been more willing to show you the ropes at Hogwarts, rather than ignoring you. I'm not sorry that I was Ron's friend...I'm sorry I didn't try harder to be yours as well."

Ginny smiled, and then giggled.

"What?"

"Harry...you didn't try at ALL to be my friend!" she said, laughing. He let out a bark of exasperated laughter himself, and then made a grab for her hair clip. 

"I'm trying to apologize here!" he exclaimed.

She dodged him effectively, then caught sight of something in the distance.

"There they are...oh. Oh, dear."

"What?" Harry asked, squinting in the direction she had turned.

"Harry...they ARE lying down!"

Harry spotted them, and then burst out into silent laughter, bent at the waist with his hands on his knees. His shoulders were still shaking with laughter when he said,

"Well, go on. Break it up."

Ginny's face betrayed her dismay at her task, and she marched off in the direction of her brother and his girlfriend...when suddenly she turned around, a smug smile on her face.

"You know...this would be a good time to repay me for that mess you caused my first year."

Harry stopped laughing and looked up at her incredulously. She smiled wider, and he shook his head, unable to say no to her.

"You'll pay for this," he warned ominously. 

"Relax...I'm just kidding. We'll do it together. Let's get it over with, though...I'm starving." 

"Okay...we'll interrupt at a run. Make sure you make a lot of noise as you approach, alright?" he instructed.

"Okay," she replied.

Together, they took off in the direction of their friends...feeling even less like outsiders than they had when they had set off. Now, they felt as though they were the ones who shared something the other two did not...and it wasn't a bad feeling at all.

~~~~~~~~~~

Justin tried once again to keep his mind on the conversation his friends were trying to engage him in as they sat at the Hufflepuff table eating dinner...he found that it was no use, as his mind was very hopelessly on other things. His eyes continually wandered to the doors of the Great Hall, hoping to catch a flash of red hair...and he wasn't thinking of Ron Weasley. The next Hogsmeade weekend was coming up, and he hadn't been able to think about anything for the past couple of weeks except for how much he had truly enjoyed spending the last one with Ginny. If he wasn't mistaken, she had enjoyed herself in his company as well...but he nevertheless couldn't help his palms getting sweaty as he contemplated approaching her to ask her about this one.

Justin smiled to himself as he forced a bite of ham into his mouth. He couldn't remember the last time he was nervous about asking a girl to step out with him. Perhaps he never had been. All the more reason he cared for Ginny more each time he considered her...he liked the person he was when he was with her, or even thinking about her, better than the person he was when he wasn't. He didn't know if that made any sense, and there was really no one he could ask...he was already getting enough ribbing from his friends about fancying "that little Weasley" when Hannah Abbott was going after him tooth and nail. Not a boy in Hufflepuff wouldn't give their right arms to go out with Hannah... except for him. Lately, Justin found blonde hair very...dull.

Then, he spotted her...she was heading toward the Gryffindor table with her brother and his friends. Of course, she had to be with Ron and not her own girlfriends on the one day he wanted to speak with her. It didn't matter...he didn't have much of a choice. He wanted to ask her early, in case someone else approached her. She was so kind, he knew she would never turn anyone down.

"Ginny?" he reached out and gently grabbed her wrist as she passed the Hufflepuff table. 

She smiled brightly at him and stopped, but out of the corner of his eye Justin could see Potter slowing down as well. He was watching them. Slightly irritated that he couldn't mind his own business and leave the brotherly patrolling to Weasley, he turned his attention to Ginny.

"I was just wondering...there's another Hogsmeade weekend coming up, and I'd really like to take you again. I really had fun last time."

Her smile faltered, and to his slight surprise he saw her gaze flicker to Potter and back. She looked at the floor sheepishly and replied,

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Justin, but...well, it's just that I kind of promised Harry I'd go with him this time around. It...we arranged it right after the last trip."

Justin's spirits plummeted. Damn...he had been nearly giddy in anticipation of spending a good amount of time with her.

"Oh...you're going with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, then?"

She blinked, and shifted her weight from one foot to the other before answering.

"Well...not exactly. You see...Ron and Hermione are...well, you know. A couple. They'll be going together, and Harry...well, he doesn't want to tag along and ruin their time together, so...I said I'd go with him so he won't stay behind again, like he did last time. He really does need to get out of the castle, probably more than anyone else. You understand, don't you?"

Justin nodded, although he felt like screaming in disappointment. A though had taken hold in his brain, and he knew that if he didn't come right out and ask Ginny about it, it would eat away at him and drive him crazy. Taking a breath that he was sure she didn't see, he asked,

"Ginny...are you and Potter...?"

She raised her eyebrows, not comprehending.

"What I mean is...is there something going on between you two?"

"Oh…no," she said, almost too firmly, "There's nothing like that, Justin. We're just...Harry's a family friend. That's all."

Justin nodded, and let go of her wrist as he hadn't realized he was still holding it. He smiled at her, somewhat relieved at her answer. He had known very well, as did the rest of the school, that Harry Potter had practically been adopted by the Weasleys. He shouldn't have even brought it up, and it was probably ridiculous to even think that way. She had been infatuated with him when she was young - everyone knew that - but it was years ago. A schoolgirl crush, and nothing more.

"Right...right, sorry. I just had to ask..."

"No, it's alright...I understand," she interrupted eagerly.

She smiled at him, and he thought he might burn up right there, in the middle of the Great Hall. 

"Well...next time, then?" he asked casually as he could, considering his heart was about to explode.

Her smile widened as she nodded vigorously, and replied, "Yes, I had a good time with you, too. I really did. I look forward to it, Justin."

He nodded, and they bid each other goodbye. He watched as she walked to her house table and took a seat next to Hermione Granger, glancing over her shoulder at him as she did. Justin smiled once more and gave her a little wave, and as she turned back to her friends his eyes travelled a bit to the left...and came into contact with Potter's. He was definitely not happy...he thought his eyes might shoot green sparks any minute. Justin decided to make some kind of peace, as he knew Ginny liked Potter very much, and gave him a friendly nod. 

Potter returned it, but Justin couldn't help thinking that it was not as friendly as it should have been.

__

To Be Continued in Chapter Five

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	5. An Abundance of Third Wheels (Chapter Fi...

Title: "An Abundance of Third Wheels" 

Author: Emmyjean

Classification: H/G, R/H, G/Other, Multiple POV

Summary: Ron and Hermione are finally a couple, and Harry is only beginning to realize his true feelings for Ginny - but is it too little, too late? Set during Harry's seventh year.

Spoilers: Through Goblet of Fire

Rating: PG

Notes: Everything belongs to Rowling.

****

PART FIVE

"Oh…wait, I wanted to have a look in here. Do you mind?" Ginny asked, already heading toward the little novelty shop on the corner without waiting for an answer. She decided he owed it to her after spending nearly half an hour in the "Bludgers and Broomsticks - Professional Quidditch Supplies" store.

"So, just tell me this...are we ever going to get to The Three Broomsticks, or should I just resign myself to dying of thirst?"

She looked back at him to find him smirking.

"Well, this is partly your fault anyway. Besides, this isn't for me...it's just that Ron's birthday is coming up and I want to get him something good."

Harry nodded and held the door for her as she stepped into the shop. She took her time looking around the place, and as she was examining a Screaming Stick (a walking stick that yelled in pain every time you tapped it on the ground) she felt Harry's sweater brush her elbow. Looking up, she sighed and asked,

"Why don't you go and browse? Don't you have a present to get for Ron as well?"

He raised an eyebrow at her and replied, "I've already gotten something for him. It was your idea to come in here, and anyway - there's no room to walk around, and I'm afraid I'll knock something down."

She looked at him intently, trying to show her displeasure, and she couldn't stop the smile from slowly creeping across her face - and he was struggling with the same problem.

"This is fun," she blurted out, without thinking.

He nodded, "Yeah...it is. But I still want to leave."

She put down the Stick and conceded.

"Alright, you nag! Let's go."

They left the shop laughing, and headed for The Three Broomsticks. Once in the door, they caught sight of Ron and Hermione sitting in a corner, and Hermione began frantically waving them over. Ginny waved back to indicate they saw her, and she and Harry proceeded to the bar to order drinks.

"I'll have a butterbeer please, Rosmerta," Ginny asked.

"Make that two," added Harry, and the plump bartendress turned to pour two glasses for them. Ginny took out her coin purse, bent her head, and began digging through it, annoyed that the larger coins always sank to the bottom. Suddenly, she felt Harry nudge her and looked up...he was holding two full glasses and beckoning her with his head to follow him to the table.

"Come on."

"Wait, I haven't paid yet..."

"I got it, come on," he replied, leading her away from the bar.

She looked confusedly back at Rosmerta, who had since gone on to the next customer.

"Harry, you don't have to..."

"Shh...forget it. Sit down."

She sat in a vacant chair next to Ron and Harry set one of the tall glasses down in front of her.

"Hey, you know what, mate?" Ron said to Harry, "I think your true calling is waiting tables!"

Harry shot a look at Ron and sat down between Hermione and Ginny. They all laughed, but then Hermione suddenly got serious.

"Now I wanted to talk to you...why have you two been avoiding us? Is it something we did? Are you angry?"

Harry and Ginny looked at each other, completely taken aback.

"What do you mean?" Ginny asked.

"You know what she means," Ron broke in, looking at Harry rather than Ginny, "You've barely spent a whole hour with us all year. What happened?"

Harry blinked, and then pushed his hair off his forehead, making it stand up in all directions and exposing his lightning bolt scar to the world.

"I...I dunno. I thought...y'know, that you and Hermione would want..."

"Our best friend to pretend as though we barely know each other? Honestly!" Hermione exclaimed loudly, "And you, Ginny!"

Ginny's head shot up and she met Hermione's frustrated hazel eyes.

"Where have you been when I needed a girlfriend to talk to in the past months? Nowhere to be found! What am I supposed to have done then? Talk to Parvati!?"

"Oh, Hermione...I'm...I don't know what to say!"

"We thought we were doing you a favor," Harry put in calmly.

Ron and Hermione both sighed. Ginny and Harry exchanged apprehensive glances.

"Well," Ron said finally, "Quit trying to be so damn considerate, alright? It's getting on my nerves."

"Mine, too!" Hermione added firmly, and then, "Ron, don't swear."

"See what I mean?" Ron said under his breath to Ginny. She couldn't help giggling. It was good to have her brother back. They drank their butterbeer, talking about various things and catching up on all they'd missed. After what simultaneously seemed like an hour and yet only a few minutes, Ginny suddenly remembered the one errand that she had wanted to do while roaming about Hogsmeade.

"Oh! Er...I have to go and, um...pick up something I forgot to...well, I'll see you back at the castle!" she finished cheerfully as she stood up, hoping she could make a quick escape.

"Wait a minute...I'll go along with you," said Ron, to her utter shock and dismay...she had been trying to get away so that she could buy HIS birthday present.

"No! I mean, um...what about Hermione?" she raised her eyebrows in his direction.

Ron glanced at Hermione with a bewildered look on his face, but Hermione was watching Ginny as though she was trying to decipher her motives for wanting to get away.

"Hermione can sit here for a minute with Harry...I don't understand what the fuss is..."

"It's alright, Ron," Harry interrupted suddenly, pushing back his chair and standing as well, "I'll go with Ginny, and you two can catch up to us later."

Ron's eyes darkened in annoyance as he burst out, "Now, look, I thought we'd settled this! There's absolutely no reason for..."

"No, Ron, he's right!" Hermione suddenly chimed in as a look of comprehension dawned on her face. Ginny sighed in relief as she shot her friend what was a hopefully concealed look of thanks.

"What?"

"Just, um...let's go back, alright? We can all catch up later in the Common Room, maybe play some chess."

"But...oh, alright. You girls are daft!" he sputtered, reluctantly sitting back down as Harry and Ginny said their farewells and walked out of the crowded pub. As soon as they were out on the street, Ginny turned to Harry with laughter bubbling up in her throat.

"Well, thanks for finally catching on! I was beginning to lose hope that you'd give me any help back there!"

Harry shrugged and said, "Well, better late than never, right?"

She smiled and shook her head, then muttered, "Come on, then. I know what I want to get him."

"What?"

Ginny smiled, and replied, "Well, there's this little shop over there that sells all sorts of unusual quills. I saw one a few weeks ago when I was here with...er, last time...that sings the Chudley Cannons' fight song when you write with it."

Harry didn't reply right away, and after a minute merely said, "Wow...he'll like that."

She wondered why he was suddenly so quiet, and tried to keep the conversation moving to get past the sudden awkwardness.

"Well, anyway...it'll mean spending all the pocket money I've got saved, but I think it's perfect for him - especially now that I feel so guilty about all that avoidance stuff. Can you believe that?"

He looked up at her now, a quick smile flashing on his face, and he answered a tad more enthusiastically, "No...it baffles me. Just when I think we can't possibly go wrong...well, there it is."

"All this time I thought WE were the ones who were supposed to feel like the third wheels!" Ginny laughed.

Harry shot her a look as they arrived at the shop door and he opened it for her.

"Wouldn't that be third and fourth wheels?"

Ginny rolled her eyes as she passed under his arm, which was easy as he was so much taller than her.

"It's an expression, Potter!"

He let out a strangled laugh.

"Potter!? You've been spending too much time with Malfoy, obviously. I'll have to write Fred and George about this."

"If you dare, you'll find yourself hexed into next week...you know very well I haven't spoken to Draco Malfoy in nearly three years, nor do I have any desire to do so." 

They glared at each other for a moment, and then burst out laughing. She couldn't remember when she had laughed this much - well, since the summer, anyway. Somehow, she didn't enjoy spending time with anyone else as much as she enjoyed spending it with Harry...but that didn't mean she had any feelings for him that went beyond deep friendship, she reminded herself strictly. There was no use getting into that with herself again, especially not here. She had to stop constantly reminding herself of this - why did she need to, anyway? And why did she keep comparing this visit to Hogsmeade with the last one she had taken - with Justin? 

And why did her memories of her time with Justin keep coming up short in comparison to the ones she was making now with Harry?

She shook her head to clear it, and marched resolutely to the back of the store to find the quill she needed to get. Harry followed close behind...apparently, he wasn't much of a browser at all unless the items in the shop were wooden and made to be ridden. She found the quill she had seen and snatched it up...and then her eyes fell on something else, hanging on a stand right next to it. A small piece of Unicorn Stone.

It was the lovliest thing she had ever seen in her life. Well...almost. She had noticed it on her last visit to this shop, and she remembered mentioning to Justin that if she had all the gold in Gringotts, she would buy things like this for herself more often. She didn't think she'd be frivolous, just a bit extravagant sometimes. It was no ordinary bit of stone...it was translucent as crystal, and shimmered in shades of silver, pink, and green. Best of all, however, was that the card that came with it explained that Unicorn Stone is mined from the walls of a unicorn cavern, this particular piece from one in France, and when it rests close to your heart it keeps you from becoming too depressed even in the worst of times.

"What's the matter?" she suddenly heard Harry say from close behind her.

She blinked, and chastized herself for her fanciful thoughts.

"Oh...nothing's the matter. I was just...admiring this. Isn't it beautiful?"

Harry didn't say anything for a moment, his eyes fixed briefly on the stone she held. He looked up into her face then, and replied, "Yes...it is."

She nodded and looked back down at the bit of heaven she held in her hands, not noticing that he continued to stare at her bent head. 

"It's completely shallow and useless on my part, but I was telling Justin the last time I was in here that if I had the money, I might not be so hesitant to spoil myself a bit with something like this. I mean...I don't mind not having a fortune to buy things with. I truly don't. But...sometimes I wonder what it would be like to see something you like, decide that you don't really need it...and then buy it anyway." 

She felt Harry's eyes on her, and looked up to find their green depths unreadable. He was giving her the most peculiar look...

"You told all this to Fletchley?" he asked quietly.

She blushed to the roots of her red hair - she knew that it sounded shallow and stupid, and had later been quite chagrined at having said anything at all to Justin about it. She didn't think he'd remembered, or at least he hadn't held it against her, as he'd invited her to accompany him into town again later.

"I know," she admitted, "I know it sounds horrible. I know what you're thinking...you're thinking I should keep such things to myself, and not prattle on about my problems to people I don't know very well."

Harry frowned slightly, and said, "That's not what..."

She interrupted, "No, it's alright...I agree. I came to the same conclusion myself, actually. It sounds as though I'm complaining about my lot in life, but I'm not doing anything of the kind...I'm very happy with what I have, honestly. I probably shouldn't have even bothered you with it, but...I don't know. I feel like I can tell you things, and you won't pass judgement on me. Sometimes...sometimes I feel like I can tell you things I couldn't even tell Ron."

Harry's expression changed completely at this revelation, and she wondered for a moment whether she truly had gone too far. As she searched his face for a reaction, however, she realized he wasn't angry. He was looking at her with an expression akin to having been dumbstruck...yet it was very intense. He swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing, and he gently took the small translucent stone she was holding into his own hands, turning it over as he studied it. 

Ginny suddenly and very inexplicably became very embarrassed, and realized that it had begun to grow entirely too hot in this corner of the store.

"Well...enough of this silliness. Let's go...I still have to pay for Ron's present."

Harry looked back up at her, his gaze still unwaveringly serious.

"Ginny...what did I get you for Christmas this year?" he asked suddenly.

She frowned, wondering what this could possibly have to do with anything. She supposed it had something to do with Ron's birthday, but she couldn't quite make the connection in her mind.

"Umm...you gave me a deck of Exploding Snap cards that were fixed so that the dealer never gets burned - to be used incessantly on Fred and George, you said - a box of sugarquills in my favorite flavor - coconut - and...um...oh, yes. A box of Bertie Bott's Beans that you had rid of all the nasty flavors. I was actually very impressed with that last one," she smiled at the memory.

Harry didn't smile back. He merely looked back down at the stone in his hands, and said softly, "That wasn't enough."

She felt her heart skip.

"What?"

He looked up again and met her eyes.

"Er...nothing."

At that moment, Ginny felt a light tap on her shoulder, and turned to find her Ravenclaw friend Sarah standing behind her.

"Oh, Sarah! Hi!"

Harry told her in an undertone that he was going to go pay for something, and she didn't get a chance to ask him what he was buying before he was walking away. She turned her full attention to Sarah and asked,

"I thought you were staying at the castle today?"

Sarah grinned nervously and looked behind her, and then said, "Well, I was...only...oh, Ginny, Mark practically begged me to go with him when I said I was staying behind! He told me that it would be no fun without me...I just don't know what to do!"

She lowered her voice to a whisper and grabbed Ginny's arm to pull her nearer as Mark came a bit closer, looking at something on a nearby shelf.

"I mean, do you think he has...you know..._those_ kinds of feelings for me?"

Ginny smiled at her friend and replied, "Well, it seems like he does to me, but...well, why don't you just ask him?"

Sarah rolled her eyes and slapped Ginny's hand affectionately.

"Oh, please...that's easy for you to say. I'm the one that has to go do it, then!"

Ginny laughed, and said, "I know. I was teasing."

"Seriously...how do you know if a friend is beginning to think of you as...more than that?"

Ginny shook her head, "I have no idea, Sarah."

Sarah frowned at her, and said, "But...well, how did you know with Harry?"

Ginny felt her blood freeze.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I mean it's obvious that..."

But she never got to finish her sentence, because at that moment Mark came over to greet Ginny as well. Sarah turned red, and cast an apologetic glance in Ginny's direction as she was whisked out of the shop and back to the rest of her Ravenclaw friends. Ginny decided quickly that Sarah didn't know what she was talking about, and that she should simply forget the implications of her last question. After all, people make incorrect assumptions all the time. She sighed, and walked over to the counter to pay for Ron's gift. As she gave the clerk her money, she noticed Harry on the other side of the shop with a bag clutched in his left hand and wondered again what he had purchased.

Walking over to him, he caught her eye and asked, "Ready?"

"What did you get?" she asked him, nodding at the bag in his hand.

He looked down at it as if noticing it for the first time, and scratched his chin distractedly.

"Oh, um..."

"Did you find something else for Ron, too?" she asked excitedly.

"Er...no. No...actually, this is for you."

She felt completely confused all of a sudden.

"Me?"

"Yeah," he replied, and held out the bag to her. She looked inside...and nearly fainted. There was the Unicorn Stone she had been admiring, all wrapped in silver paper.

"Wha-? Oh, no...I can't accept this."

He smiled slightly, shaking his head at her.

"Oh, I think you will. Otherwise, it'll just sit in my trunk, going to waste."

"No, Harry...you can't do this! It's too much!"

He turned to regard her with the small smile still on his face.

"I had a few sickles to spend. Besides, it's already done...no use arguing now."

She felt her face growing hotter. She knew he was...well, sort of _rich_...but there was absolutely no reason he should be spending as much as a knut on her. She opened her mouth to make another protest, but couldn't think of the right words.

He stared at her for a moment, then said, "Besides, I decided that I wasn't entirely happy with what I got you for Christmas...it wasn't very appropriate for a girl, was it? Kind of impersonal...and besides, you never even play Exploding Snap."

She looked at him doubtfully, and then looked back down at the bag in her hand. He sighed a slightly frustrated sigh, and continued,

"Just accept it, please? I promise that I'm not doing it out of guilt or pity, alright?"

"Well then why..." she trailed off, catching an almost fearful look in his eye.

"Just because," he replied firmly, "You're my friend. I think you should have it, and if you can't get it for yourself...then I'm getting it for you."

She saw that she wasn't going to be convincing him to rethink this decision any time soon, so she simply sighed and nodded. Then, to her surprise, she felt a smile begin to creep across her face. Perhaps this wasn't as huge as she had made it out to be in her mind. Perhaps she had overreacted because she was so unused to such expensive generosity...and because she was so sensitive about anything that had to do with Harry.

She smiled up at him, and admitted quietly, "Harry…I don't know how to thank you for this."

He grinned.

"You just did. Now come on...or we'll get another lecture from Ron and Hermione."

She laughed, and agreed.

They walked back to the castle together, and Ginny was too wrapped up it whatever conversation they were having to have much time to ponder the reasons behind his fairly nice gift to her. She wouldn't have let herself do much thinking anyway, she considered later, as she was convinced it was simply a gesture of friendship from him, and he meant what he said - he wanted to expand upon her Christmas gift. 

Never mind that it was nearly two months later. And forget that she hadn't gotten him anything nearly as nice as the things he'd already given her, without the recent addition. Just...never mind those things.

A few weeks later, she was staring at her reflection in the windows of the common room. She had put the Unicorn Stone on a silver chain and fastened it around her neck when she had come back from Hogsmeade that day, but always kept it hidden beneath her robes in order to avoid questions from everyone - particularly Ron. When she was all alone, however, she often admired it herself...it was too lovely to be kept hidden all the time. Suddenly, she heard a soft exclaimation behind her.

Turning, she saw Hermione standing there with a load of books in her arms, having just come in the portrait hole from a visit to the library - Ginny hadn't heard her walk in.

"Oh, Ginny...I was looking at that stone the other day! You got it at the novelty shop in Hogsmeade, right?" she asked as she set her books down in the place across from Ginny and sat down.

"Yeah, isn't it pretty?" Ginny replied excitedly, unfastening the chain and holding the pendant out for Hermione to take.

Hermione tutted, which is what she did best, and gave Ginny a look as she took the proffered pendant and turned it in her hands.

"It's not just pretty...it's _Unicorn Stone_! It's actually very rare, as it's very hard to succesfully enter a unicorn cavern to mine it. Now, I don't usually go for things like this...but I thought about buying this for myself, as it does contain quite powerful cheering magic. It was just a bit too..." Hermione broke off, suddenly frowning up at Ginny with a puzzled look on her face.

"Expensive?" Ginny finished, smiling.

"Y-yes. But, Ginny...now, I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but...how...?"  
"How did I manage to afford it?"

Hermione nodded vigorously.

"I...I didn't. Um...it was a gift."

Hermione's eyes widened, and she burst out, "Ginny! Who on earth would be so...generous...oh, wait a minute..."

Ginny looked back down at her hands and squirmed a bit in her seat.

"It was Harry, wasn't it?"

Ginny nodded in response.

Hermione didn't say anything for a moment, and Ginny assumed she was thinking it over. Perhaps this was just what she needed...someone to put her mind at ease once and for all on the matter.

"Well, you know how he is, when it comes to his...er, his friends. I mean, this sort of thing isn't unusual, is it? He gives you and Ron things all the time...right?"

Hermione blinked and then nodded enthusiastically, still fingering the crystal.

"Oh, yes...Harry's very generous. It's just the way he is, especially when it comes to his friends. I think we're all very important to him, especially this year...with everything that's going on..."

Ginny felt a strange combination of relief and disappointment coarsing through her at Hermione's words, as she closed her book, bid her friend goodnight, and climbed the stairs to bed. Where was that coming from? She had wanted her friend to say those exact words, and she had gotten her reassurance that her relationship with Harry - her friendship with Harry - was just as solid as ever, and not being shaken apart by any kind of fickle changes. So...why did she feel somewhat let down?

__

To Be Continued in Chapter Six

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	6. An Abundance of Third Wheels (Chapter Si...

Title: "An Abundance of Third Wheels" 

Author: Emmyjean

Classification: H/G, R/H, G/Other, Multiple POV

Summary: Ron and Hermione are finally a couple, and Harry is only beginning to realize his true feelings for Ginny - but is it too little, too late? Set during Harry's seventh year.

Spoilers: Through Goblet of Fire

Rating: PG

Notes: Everything belongs to Rowling.

****

PART SIX

__

Mid-August

_"Alright, I've got another one," Ginny said, trying with her tongue to stop the drip of melting ice cream from going any further down her arm. Harry handed her a napkin, and she accepted it. Normally, she thought, she would have been embarrased, but not now. Not anymore._

"Go ahead," he prompted.

Ginny looked at him smugly and asked, "If you were to be forced to participate in dancing lessons with either Severus Snape or Argus Filch, which would it be?"

Harry closed his eyes and made a kind of funny groaning noise before chuckling and leaning more fully on the rock at his back. They were on the beach right below the house...it had been quite dark for awhile now, but the full moon and the lights from the house combined provided enough illumination for them to see each other.

"You don't hold back with these, do you?" he asked her.

She shrugged, and replied, "What would be the point of the game if I did? Now come on...no more stalling."

He sighed and, after another moment's consideration, finally decided, "It'd have to be Filch."

"Really? Why?"

"Because...at least he's a squib and couldn't do anything truly horrible to me."

Ginny laughed, wiping her mouth. She didn't know what was making her so sloppy in eating this ice cream cone, but there was no helping it now. She was hopelessly sticky already.

"He could kiss you or something," she suggested, and then burst out laughing at the horrified look on Harry's face. Inspired, she continued, "Yes...I mean, imagine how romantic it would be. You and Filch, dancing in the moonlight, twirling around..."

"Oh, yeah...it's my turn now," he interrupted, a wicked look gleaming on his face.

"Hit me with your best shot, then," she said defiantly.

"Alright...you have to kiss either Crabbe or Goyle. Choose."

Ginny gasped, and said, "Now come on, that's not fair. They're...practically the same person!"

"Are they people? Hmm...I hadn't realized..." 

"Harry..."

"Nope," he cut her off, smiling, "You have to pick, it's the rules."

She sighed, thinking it over for a moment. 

"Alright then...Goyle."

"Why?"

"I dunno...I just picked the first one I thought of."

"Alright, wait...how about Malfoy or Goyle?"

She thought for a moment, and then shook with laughter.

"Malfoy, no question."

Harry scowled, and asked, "Why's that?"

Ginny stuck her chin out at him and replied haughtily, "Just because he's a git doesn't mean he's not good-looking."

The look on Harry's face was so distressing that she broke down into fits of giggles.

"I'm joking!" she gasped, and soon he started laughing softly as well. 

He nodded, and after a short pause said, "Your turn."

She looked up, and their eyes caught...along with her breath. He was standing at such an angle that the moonlight was reflecting off his green eyes, but not his glasses, and his inky black hair was lined with blue where it, too, was illuminated.

"Hmm?" she asked distractedly.

"It's, um...your turn to ask a question."

"Oh, right...um...okay," she silently cursed herself for regressing into her second-year mentality, and continued, "You have a choice between being locked in a room with a Hungarian Horntail or a Blast-Ended Skrewt. Which would you choose?"

"The Horntail," he replied immediately. 

She blinked.

"You don't even want to think about it?"  
"No...I got past a Horntail once. I never did quite learn how to beat those damn Skrewts of Hagrid's."

She laughed, conceding that he was right, and then yawned loudly. 

"Come on," he said, brushing her arm lightly with his fingertips, "Let's go in. We can continue this later...you need a bath or something."

"What?"

"Has anyone ever told you that you're a slob when it comes to ice cream?"

She shot him a look and realized his shoulders were shaking with silent laughter. Grinning, she shot back, "Oh, really? Well, here's what I have to say to you, Harry Potter..."

She took her sticky hand and mussed his already messy black hair. He yelled in protest, but the damage was done. 

"Now it looks like YOU are the one who needs to clean up!" she said with a smirk.

Smiling at her as they walked up the wooden stairs to the cottage, he commented wryly, "You'll pay for that."

"Oh, I have no doubt...but it was worth it."

~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry glanced again over at Ginny, who was sitting a ways down from he and Ron as they ate dinner in the Great Hall. He hated it when she decided to sit with her own friends at meals, as silly as it may sound. It meant she didn't sit anywhere near them.

He sighed and went back to his stew, only half listening to an argument Ron and Dean were having about the finer points of curse-breaking. He personally didn't know what either of _them_ knew about it, as he was surely clueless, but refrained from saying this in the interest of not appearing to be a complete arse. Just because he was in a bad mood didn't mean he had to spread the misery around.

It wasn't just because Ginny was sitting elsewhere today, as this would have made even Harry ashamed of himself, but it was all tied in. He had been pensive and moody since his visit to Hogsmeade with Ginny, and had been a bit short with everyone - everyone except her, that is. He couldn't get her words to him out of his mind. _I feel like I can tell you things and you won't pass judgement on me...sometimes, I feel I could tell you things I couldn't even tell Ron. _Harry had never in his life been so touched by someone expressing a sentiment to him. It had taken him completely by surprise, as he and Ginny's conversations were rarely so self-revealing. To know that she trusted him enough to tell him this was mind-boggling, and it also made him more certain that ever that he couldn't keep his rampaging emotions a secret for much longer. He had managed to explain away the purchase of that Unicorn Stone to make it seem as though it was simply an act of friendship...but he knew better.

He had bought her the small bit of stone because he had suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to provide her with nice things that she couldn't afford to give to herself. He had felt a rush of...something, and remembered thinking fiercely that if people like Parvati Patil and Hannah Abbott could surround themselves with pretty, girlish things, then Ginny deserved to have the same privilidge, even more than they did. Not only that, but he wanted to be the one to give them to her. He had never felt there was much purpose in having all the money he did, as he never bought anything for himself, really...but that day, he did think of something he'd gladly spend every last galleon in his vault on.

And it most definitely was not because he considered her a good _friend_.

Glancing at Ron, he felt the heat rise in his face as he pictured what his best friend would say if he knew Harry were having such inappropriate thoughts about his younger sister...but then Harry considered that it was partially Ron's fault in the first place that he had even become close to Ginny at all. He'd have to thank him later, if he lived through this.

Suddenly, Dumbledore rose to his feet at the head table, and the Hall fell silent without him having to say a word. He looked brightly around the room, smiling, and everyone breathed a small sigh of relief that he was obviously not going to make a grave announcement - this time.

"I have just been informed," he began, "by the heads of the houses that each of their respective dormitories are in excellent standing with points well over the 500 mark."

There was a cheerful applause as the house tables reacted to this news. After they quieted down again, Dumbledore continued,

"We have been chatting up here, and we - Professors McGonagall, Snape, Flitwick, Sprout, and myself - have decided to reward your good behavior. I am pleased to announce that we will be holding a Spring Festival on the first weekend of May this year."

A great cheering erupted from the house tables, but Harry didn't hear any of it. He realized Dumbledore was still speaking, but decided he could get the details from Ron later. His eyes were roaming the Hufflepuff table, and they soon fixed on Justin Finch-Fletchley. Harry somehow wasn't surprised to see that he was staring right back at him. Their eyes locked, and an unmistakable challenge was issued. Whatever Fletchley's assumptions about Harry's relationship with Ginny were before, it was safe to say that now there was no room for any misconceptions.

Harry smiled somewhat maliciously as he cast his eyes in Ginny's direction, noting that she was only a few paces from where he was sitting but all the way across the room from Justin. He noticed that Justin was realizing the same thing, and a panicked look flickered across the other boy's face. Just as Harry was about to stand and walk over to her, Ginny shot up from the table, gathered her things, and hurried toward the door. He overheard her muttering something to her friends about needing to stop at the library for something.

Harry watched her go, and then looked over at Justin again. She was going to pass the Hufflepuff table as she went, and Justin was smiling triumphantly at Harry as he, too, summed up the situation. After Ginny had walked out the large doors, Fletchley stood and followed her out.

Harry shot out of his seat and started to go after them, but Ron's voice stopped him short.

"Hey, mate, where do you think you're going?"

"I've...erm, I've got to go see to something."

Ron laughed slightly and shook his head, cramming another bite of roast potato in his mouth and talking around it, "Not right now, you're not. We've got that detention to serve for Snape, remember? In fact...we should probably get going. Snape's already left the Hall."

Harry felt his heart plummet to the cold stone floor...Ron was right. They did have detention to serve - and even Harry didn't dare ditch out on a detention, particularly if it was from Severus Snape. That prat Fletchley was going to get to Ginny first, and there was no way she'd refuse an invitation to the dance from him. With feet that seemed as though they were made from lead and a deep resentment compressing his chest, he followed Ron slowly out of the Hall and into the dungeons.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Whew...finally," Ron breathed as they walked out of the dark Potions classroom and headed back toward Gryffindor Tower, "I can't believe he made us scrub every last one of those disgusting cauldrons clean. I mean, they must have been about a hundred years old! And what's he been using 'em for, anyway, with all that gunk caked on there?"

Harry shrugged, not in the mood for friendly banter.

"Hey, Harry...what's the matter? You've been quiet all evening."

_I have feelings for your sister_. 

"Nothing...I'm just not relishing going to this dance, that's all."

Ron shook his head and replied, "Well, me either, but I suppose I have to go...Hermione'll need someone to take her, her being Head Girl and all. But I know what you mean - I'd rather spend the night playing chess. Ah, well...who're you going to ask, then? Ginny?"

"No, I don't think so."

"You ought to, you know. It'd be easy...you wouldn't have to worry about feeling weird because she's not a girl...I mean, she _is_ of course, but not to us. She's just Ginny."

Little did Ron know that Ginny was more "girl" to Harry than anyone else in the damn school.

"Well, I'm pretty sure she's going with someone else, anyway."

Before Ron could answer, they heard footsteps behind them.

"Harry? Um...Harry?" a female voice caused him to turn, and he found himself staring into the face of Hannah Abbott, the pretty blonde Hufflepuff in his year.

"Umm...I was just wondering if you had asked anyone to the dance yet," she inquired, her cheeks coloring a bit.

"It's two months away," Harry said a bit testily.

"Yes, well...I was thinking we could go together- that is, if you didn't already have someone in mind."

Harry was about to say no, but then remembered that the only girl he had wanted to take was already being taken by someone else. He felt a rush of anger as he pictured Fletchley dancing with Ginny, his hand on her waist...and suddenly decided that he'd be damned if he was going to sit in the Common Room wallowing in self-pity that night. He'd sure as hell go - if only to keep an eye on her.

"Sure, why not?" he replied simply to Hannah, who beamed at him and then went on her way.

"Harry," Ron ventured a few moments later as they continued on their way back to the dormitory, "if you wanted to avoid having to take a self-important, vain, prissy girl to this ball...Hannah Abbott was the wrong way to go."

Harry shrugged, and replied, "Eh...I probably won't see much of her. I don't plan on participating."

"Then why go at all?"

"I dunno...because I'd rather sit moping at a table with my friends than sit moping alone in the Common Room that night."

Ron shrugged and shook his head, as if he didn't understand Harry's reasoning but wasn't going to try and get any more information out of him. 

When they got back to the portrait hole and had given the Fat Lady the password, Harry climbed in after Ron only to be greeted with the sight of Ginny and Hermione sitting by the fireplace talking. They both turned and smiled as he and Ron approached. 

"What took so long?" Hermione asked, moving aside on the sofa so Ron could plop down next to her.

"You have no idea the grime that exists in Snape's filthy little world," Ron replied, yawning.

"Ron, you shouldn't say such things about a teacher," the Head Girl in Hermione spoke up.

Ron grinned in response, and then asked, "You two waited up? You shouldn't have...it's nearly midnight."

Hermione looked at the clock and clarified, "Well, I waited up. Ginny was kind enough to offer to keep me company."

Harry glanced at Ginny, who just happened to choose that moment to glance at him. She quickly looked away, and Harry wondered what she was suddenly so shy about...maybe she was just afraid that he had found out about Justin taking her to the dance. He scowled unconsciously at the truth of that statement.

"Anyway...are you going to ask me to the ball or not, Ronald Weasley?" Hermione asked haughtily.

Ron opened one eye and frowned at her, "Why should I? It's not like everyone doesn't already assume we're going with each other...including us."

Hermione glared, and said, "It's customary for a gentleman to..."

"Alright, alright!" Ron interrupted with a sigh, "I don't want a lecture right this minute. Hermione, would you do me the supreme honor of attending the Spring Festival with me?"

Hermione sighed in exasperation at his tone, but then smiled slightly and replied, "Well...alright then. Even though I think you asked me like a prat."

He guffawed in response and put his arm around her to make up for it. Then he looked at his sister and asked,

"So, who is this you're going with, now?"

Harry turned and headed discreetly towards the stairway leading to the dorms. He didn't want to hear the details of her little romantic encounter.

"Oh...well, no one's asked me yet."

Harry stopped dead in his tracks, frozen. He didn't think he could have heard right, and looked over his shoulder and the back of Ginny's chair. Slowly, before anyone had even noticed that he had tried to make his exit, he edged back to where he had been standing before.

"But I thought you had a date already?" Ron asked.

Ginny shook her head, her red ponytail bobbing back and forth, "No...for pity's sake, Ron! It's only just been announced tonight!"

Ron furrowed his brows, and conceded, "Hmm...I suppose you're right."

"Not everyone can get a date right away, Ron...most people won't even start thinking about it until a month from now," Hermione commented sagely.

"Right...I guess everyone can't be like us," he smiled at her, and then turned to look at Harry, "or Harry, of course."

Hermione and Ginny both turned to regard him...he kept his eyes trained on Hermione, because he couldn't bear to look at Ginny Weasley right now. The disappointment roiling in his stomach was enough to make him sick already, without his having to see her face. Justin had somehow never caught up to her in the corridor, Harry realized. 

"You have a date already, Harry?" Hermione asked, a bit perplexed.

He cleared his throat, but his voice still cracked as he managed to respond with a low, "Yes."

There was a brief silence, and then Ginny asked quietly, "Who is it?"

Harry turned to face her then, and the look in her eyes nearly made his heart break in two. She was looking at him as if he had just slapped her in the face, and worst of all, he could see clearly that she was struggling to look neutral. 

"Hannah Abbott," he nearly whispered.

She didn't say anything else, merely nodded and smiled as if this didn't bother her at all. Ron was laughing, as the thought of Harry attending anything with Hannah Abbott was obviously very funny to him. Harry briefly considered wiping the smile off his face by announcing that he was falling for his sister...but decided that would be a bad idea, as the sister in question was sitting not five feet away from him.

Ginny stood up suddenly, and said, "Well, it is pretty late, so I think I'll just go up to bed. Goodnight, everyone."

Ron and Hermione bid her goodnight, but Harry couldn't force another sound out of his throat. He simply watched, miserable, as she turned and, without another glance at him, climbed the stairs slowly up to the girls dorm. He swallowed, still feeling as though he was going to be sick. He would have been able to go with her to the dance. If he hadn't been such a damn fool and accepted Hannah Abbott on a whim, he would have been able to take the only person he had ever wanted to take, since Dumbledore had made the announcement. The most unbearable thing about the entire situation, however, was that Ginny had been _expecting_ him to ask her - had been counting on it. He could read it all over her face, in her eyes, when he had said he was going with someone else. 

And now, if she did go with Justin Finch-Fletchley, it was nobody's fault but his own.

He stood, not able to stand sitting in that room another second, and mumbled, "I'm going up, too. G'night."

He vaguely heard Ron and Hermione respond, and thought that they were probably glad he was leaving them alone. As he got to the landing, he turned and stared at the door to the girls dormitories. He fleetingly considered simply barging in there and explaining the whole thing to her, but rejected this idea as completely daft. Sighing, he trudged the rest of the way to his own room, quickly undressed, and got into bed. 

He didn't fall asleep for a long time that night.

__

To Be Continued in Chapter Seven

More Fanfic by Emmyjean at

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www.hiddentower.50megs.com


	7. An Abundance of Third Wheels (Chapter Se...

Title: "An Abundance of Third Wheels" 

Author: Emmyjean

Classification: H/G, R/H, G/Other, Multiple POV

Summary: Ron and Hermione are finally a couple, and Harry is only beginning to realize his true feelings for Ginny - but is it too little, too late? Set during Harry's seventh year.

Spoilers: Through Goblet of Fire

Rating: PG

Notes: Everything belongs to Rowling.

****

PART SEVEN

__

"Oh, I love this song!" Ginny exclaimed softly as a new tune began playing on the Muggle radio they had set up in the kitchen window. They were lying on the hill just behind the cottage, looking up at the stars and waiting for Ron and Hermione to come back from a walk. At least, that had originally been the purpose of sitting outside - they had since become so wrapped up in the beauty of the clear summer night that they had completely forgotten about Ron and Hermione.

"How do you know this song?" Harry asked Ginny curiously, "It's a Muggle song...and an old one at that."

Ginny turned her head to regard him as she answered,

"I've always liked to listen to the Muggle radios Dad used to bring home - any station, all of them. Anyway, old or not - Glenn Miller is pretty famous in the Muggle world, or so I've read. And "Moonlight Serenade" is my favorite of his."

Harry looked surprised at this revelation, but merely nodded and said nothing, as he himself was enjoying the song...in fact, the whole night.

"I don't know anything about constellations," he confessed to Ginny a quiet moment later.

She turned again to look at him incredulously as she asked, "But...you and Ron got top marks in Divination!"

Harry laughed and admitted, "That's because we made stuff up - and because she felt sorry for me."

"Sorry for you?"

"Yeah," Harry replied as he cast an amused glance in her direction, "Every day I walk into that classroom, she assumes it's my last to live. She's a nutcase."

Ginny laughed and shook her head.

"Well, I don't know anything about them either. Why don't we just skip the astronomy and enjoy the view?"

"Sounds like a plan to me," Harry agreed as he followed her lead and lay back on the grass.

They didn't say anything for a moment, but instead simply lay there in comfortable silence. That was one thing Harry had noticed about the time he had spend with Ginny this past summer - he didn't feel obligated to fill the gaps in conversation with small talk. He was comfortable just to sit next to her and say nothing.

"Harry?"

"Hmm?"

Ginny paused, then asked, "Have you ever thought about what you want to do with your life?"

Harry pondered for a moment, and asked, "What do you mean?"

Ginny rolled her eyes and clarified, "I mean your future...what do you want to be?"

Harry thought for a moment longer.

"You know, I truly haven't given it much thought. Maybe...maybe an auror. I think I have a strength in defense against the dark arts."

"Hmm...yeah. Ron told me you once withstood the Imperius Curse in class."

Harry was silent for a moment, wanting to tell her exactly what that meant. He didn't want to ruin the atmosphere, but suddenly needed badly to confide in her...a fact which he chose not to analyze.

"I've had every single one of the three Unforgivable Curses cast on me," he admitted quietly.

Ginny turned very slowly to look at him, but he didn't return her gaze.

"Even...even the Cruciatius?" she asked, her voice trembling.

He nodded stiffly, already regretting having brought it up, and heard her deep intake of breath. He turned to look at her then, and what he saw in her eyes startled him. It wasn't the pity he expected, or even the pride he had thought might be there. It was anger. Frustration.

"I wish…" she began, but shook her head and didn't finish the sentence. There were a million things she could have been about to say, but Harry had no way of even guessing her intended revelation. Nevertheless, he felt a tug on his heart. Her anger on his behalf meant more to him than all the pity in the world, regardless of the specifics. He could in her eyes all he needed to know.

Not wanting the mention of those terrible times to destroy the peace that had settled around them, he smiled slightly at her. She smiled back, and in a flash the serious moment was over, and they were back to the way they had been before he had even brought it up. It was odd...he didn't think that would have worked with Ron, and certainly not with Hermione. It was quite refreshing.

"I think," she went on suddenly, "that I would like to go into Care of Magical Creatures, like Charlie."

"Really?" Harry asked.

"Yes…either that or become a teacher."

"A professor?"

"No," she shook her head, "for little kids."

Harry laughed, surprised at his strong interest in Ginny's aspirations, and replied, "Well, I hear there's a great deal of money to be had in raising Blast-Ended Skrewts."

Ginny giggled loudly, and then declared, "You_ can go do that, then. I don't care in the least about money."_

Harry paused and he looked over at her, puzzled. He hadn't expected this from her, seeing as how it had always bothered Ron so much.

"You don't?"

"No," she replied firmly, "I've been poor all my life…and I've never been unhappy."

Harry's breath caught for reasons he could not explain to himself as he learned that money was not an object to a person like Ginny Weasley. He was consistently afraid of people wanting to befriend him for reasons other than actually wanting to be his friend - his reputation, his money, it didn't matter - that he was always on his guard about this. Needing to know for sure, he asked, 

"You really don't want to be rich one day?"

She wrinkled her nose and shook her head.

"I don't know," she explained, "I wouldn't oppose the idea, I guess. It's just that...well, money isn't everything, is it? Some people are rich, but they're miserable all the same. Money isn't the same thing as success, as far as I'm concerned."

Harry stared at her, a serious expression on his face, and commented, "That's odd, coming from you."

She looked back at him, her eyebrows raised in question.

"Why?"

He shrugged and looked back at the stars, replying casually, "Well, it always seemed to be an annoyance to Ron. You know...about money problems and everything. Having to buy things secondhand."

Ginny laughed slightly and rolled her brown eyes.

"Wearing hand-me-downs and reading out of used books isn't the worst thing in the world. And anyway...I'm not Ron, am I?"

He had to admit that this was true...although they were similar in many ways, they were also polar opposites in some respects. Harry didn't know why he was somewhat taken aback to have discovered this, but he was all the same. Casting a sideways glance at her, he asked in as offhanded a manner as he could muster,

"I suppose you're right...but it might be nice to at least know someone who was rich. Do you?"

She frowned and asked, "Do I what?"

He swallowed, nervous suddenly for her answer, and clarified, "Know any rich people?"

Ginny, to his delight, burst out laughing and replied sarcastically, "No, do you?"

Harry smiled to himself and didn't answer. He merely raised his eyes to the sky and allowed himself to become wrapped up once more in it's depths. They didn't say anything else for a moment, and then a thought occurred to Harry.

"Ginny?"

"Yes?"

He turned his head to look over at her, and she looked back at him sleepily. He smiled - they had all been up early that morning.

"You'd make a great teacher, you know."

Sme smiled brightly back at him, and it made his heart beat a bit faster to know that he had made her happy. Had he known it would make him feel this good to do so, he would have started long ago. Just then, they heard footsteps - Ron and Hermione were back from their walk.

"What are you two doing?" came Ron's slightly dubious voice.

"Isn't it obvious_?" Hermione scolded as she hurried over and plopped down next to Harry on the hillside, "They're stargazing!"_

Ron strolled over and sat down on the other side of Ginny, who crowded obligingly closer to Harry - who found he didn't have any objection to this.

"Well, what do we see, then?" Ron asked.

"Oh, I can point out almost all the constellations," Hermione began, "Do you know that it was something the ancient Greek sailors did in order to know which direction they were travelling? Well, that and I'm sure they needed something_ to take up their time...anyway, most of the constellations are based on Greek mythology and..."_

As Hermione chattered on, Harry glanced discreetly at Ginny. She was already looking at him, and the two of them fought together to hold in their laughter. What neither Ron nor Hermione knew was that the point of their stargazing was not_ to identify constellations._

"Fascinating, Hermione. You'll be the next Trelawney if you can keep it up," Ron said sarcastically as he rolled his eyes at Harry. Hermione tutted loudly as he continued idly, "What were you two talking about before we walked up?"

Ginny sighed, and replied dramatically, "Oh, we were talking about all those lucky souls who have scads of money at their disposal."

Harry's eyebrows shot up, and he nearly jumped to his feet at the realization of what she had just said - and what was undoubtedly going to happen next.

Ron laughed in puzzlement and asked, "What about them?"

"Oh, just that we're unfortunate not to be_ one of them or _know_ any of them," Ginny replied._

Ron burst into fits of hysterical laughter then, and Harry looked at him pleadingly although he doubted Ron could see it through his tears of mirth.

"Ginny," he gasped when he could, "Are you daft!? Harry IS one of those people!"  
Harry let out a frustrated breath and briefly closed his eyes. He had been quite comfortable living in the knowledge that Ginny was ignorant of his financial status - even if it had been a situation which had only existed for a few minutes.

Ginny, for her part, let her mouth drop open and looked confusedly at Harry.

"You know someone who's rich?"

Ron snorted mockingly and said, "Ginny, you're so thick. He has more gold in Gringotts than he could ever possibly spend...at least not on anything useful."

Ron winked at Harry as he made this declaration, and Harry was at least thankful that he and Ron had gotten past the point where it was awkward to talk about their comparative monitary situations. He was still going to murder him later for opening him big mouth, but at least it was a source of temporary relief.

Ginny's eyes widened a fraction, but to her credit and Harry's surprise, that was all the reaction she showed at first. He shrugged at her in some sort of apology for having led her on, and he could see her face go pink even in the darkness. She didn't seem angry...just embarrassed. Ron was still laughing.

"Oh, shut it, you prat," Harry muttered under his breath.

Suddenly, Ginny did something that surprised him - she began to giggle. As Harry watched in amazement, she was soon in gales of laughter, rivaling her brother in volume. Harry didn't know quite what to make of this until she looked up and met his eyes...

...and he could read acceptance in hers. He sighed in relief at the evident conclusion that whether or not it had anything personally to do with him, money still meant nothing to Ginny. After some scolding from Hermione, they went back to gazing at the heavens. None of them wanted the night to end, as it was one of the last they would spend together at the cottage before school began again - and they would have to go back to regular life, whatever that meant for each of them.

After hours of chatting about everything and nothing, it wasn't long before all four of them had fallen asleep on the hillside, serenaded by a Muggle radio and blanketed by the star-studded sky.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ron glanced cautiously at Harry, who was walking abnormally fast toward the greenhouse for their Herbology lesson. Ron, who prided himself on being fairly athletic, was actually having a difficult time keeping up.

"Hey, Harry…where's the fire?" he tried joking.

"What?" Harry practically barked in response.

"Nothing, just…what's your hurry? Slow down, would you?"

Harry slowed his steps, but made it clear that he was none too happy about having to do so. Ron frowned…what in the world was bothering him today? It was as if he had woken up in a sour mood, and he barely said a word to anyone at breakfast.

"What's wrong, mate? You don't seem yourself today."

Harry cast him a look which Ron would describe as frustrated and…well, if he didn't know better, he would almost say he detected a bit of fear as well.

"Nothing…sorry. I just didn't sleep well last night."

"Why's that?"

"Dunno."

Ron nodded, and decided that conversation was definitely not what Harry needed right now. Perhaps it would be better if he just left him alone for now, and tried again after Herbology.

They finally arrived at Professor Sprout's class, where the Hufflepuffs and most of the Gryffindors were already seated. Ron and Harry found their seats quickly, and Ron flashed a smile at the two Hufflepuff boys that shared their table - Ernie MacMillan and Justin Finch-Fletchley. He struggled to keep his eyes open as Sprout droned on about shearing Shooting Thorn bushes, and after about half an hour she instructed them to get to work on their own. Amidst various cries of "ouch!" and "eek!", Ron proceeded to the usual conversation with the rest of his table.

"So…what do you think about Dumbledore hosting another dance?" Ernie asked, trying to avoid a particularly nasty, quivering thorn that was about to come loose.

""I dunno…I was never one for those big events you have to wear dress robes at and everything," Ron replied, trying to find out which way was best to hold his shears.

"Me either. But, I promised Susan that I'd do something nice for her birthday, and it just so happens that this thing falls on that day. So, I have it all worked out, it seems!"

Ernie MacMillan had been seeing Susan Bones for as long as anyone could remember. Ron frowned slightly, and replied, 

"Er…Ernie, I don't think that counts. I think you have to do something else for her birthday…something _you_ planned."

Ernie glanced at Ron, apparently considering it.

"You think so?"

"Well," Ron continued, "It's just that I know what Hermione would say to me…or rather, _not_ say to me, if I used that as an excuse not to do anything for her birthday. She'd probably give me the silent treatment for about a month."

Ernie and Ron both laughed, and Ron took the opportunity to glance at Harry, who was sitting next to him. Not only was he not laughing, but he seemed to be scowling the slightest bit. Assuming it was a look of concentration as he wrestled with his thorn plant, Ron again attempted to engage him in the conversation.

"Umm…yeah, we're lucky we have dates already and don't have to worry about it anymore. Harry, here…he's got a date, too."

Ernie looked at him with interest, and Justin now raised his head to look at Harry as well.

"Do you, Harry? Who?" Ernie asked.

Harry sighed, and replied in a low voice, "Hannah Abbott."

Justin stopped cutting, his hand stilling and his eyebrows raising in apparent surprise. He lowered the shears and looked very hard at Harry, who refused to look up from his work. 

"Hannah?" Justin asked, "You're going with _Hannah_?"

Ron thought this curious - maybe Fletchley was interested in Hannah Abbott, and this was going to be a problem. He couldn't say he blamed him as far as looks went - with her blonde curls and blue eyes, she was quite possibly one of the prettiest girls in school. Ron was startled, however, when Harry finally raised his head to look Justin in the face - and the expression on his own was so…dangerous…that even Ernie seemed to notice as he looked back and forth between the two.

"Yes," Harry ground out, "I'm going with _Hannah_."

Ron glanced quickly back at Justin to see what his reaction to this uncharacteristic display of aggression in Harry would be…but it was not at all close to anything Ron might have imagined. Rather than becoming defensive or angry, the oddest expression of triumph lit up Justin's face. He smiled a little, and said in what Ron could only describe as a superior tone,

"Well, Potter…jumped the gun a bit, did you?"

Harry set down his shears and for a moment, Ron thought he was going to leap across the table at Fletchley. The look in his green eyes was simultaneously murderous and cold as ice. Ron was just trying to decide how to break in before things went any further when Sprout's voice raised above the din with,

"Leave your bushes exactly where they are, and be sure to sit in the same places tomorrow! Class is dismissed…you can all go to lunch!"

Harry and Justin just stood there for a moment, and Ron actually thought for a minute that one was going to call the other out. Ron quickly grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him toward the castle…Harry, although still glaring back at Justin, didn't struggle.

When they were safely out of earshot, Ron asked, "What the hell was that all about?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Ron rolled his eyes, just about sick to death of this whole silent bit.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about…I haven't seen you so close to committing murder since we met Sirius Black in third year! Now, what's going on between you and Fletchley?"

Harry sighed, "Nothing, Ron…it's complicated and a very long story. Just forget about it."

"Harry," Ron said slowly, "I'm your best friend. If you can't tell me about it, then who can you tell?"

Harry turned to look at Ron then, the most peculiar expression on his face…almost as if he were about to laugh.

"I think you might be the last person I could tell."

"What?"

"Nevermind. Look, let's hurry…I'm hungry, alright?"  
Ron was absolutely confused now…what did he mean? Did it involve him somehow? He was determined to find out if it was the very last thing he did - and if Harry's mood now was any indication, it might just _be_ the last thing he ever did.

"Is it something to do with Hannah? What…you both fancy her or something?"

"No! No…I don't fancy Hannah. It's…look, if I promise to tell you when I am in the mindset to do so, will you quit asking questions?"

"In the right mindset?"

"Yeah…when I actually feel like sitting down and explaining the whole thing to you. I swear that one day soon, I will. Just…not now."

Ron couldn't imagine what could possibly be causing this much trouble, but thought maybe it had something to do with Quidditch…Harry and Justin were on rival teams. Although, this didn't make much sense because not only did they not play the same position - Harry was Seeker, Justin was Keeper - but Harry was far and away the greatest Seeker Hogwarts had ever seen, and he couldn't imagine him being jealous of Justin or anything.

"Alright," Ron finally replied, "I'll take your word on it."

Harry nodded his thanks, and they proceeded up to the castle and into the Great Hall, where they had lunch and where Ron decided that it might not be a good idea to mention any of this to Hermione.

She may be his girlfriend and Harry's best friend, but it didn't mean there weren't things that she did not need to know.

__

To Be Continued in Chapter Eight

More Fic by Emmyjean at

The Hidden Tower

__

www.hiddentower.50megs.com


	8. An Abundance of Third Wheels (Chapter Ei...

Title: "An Abundance of Third Wheels" 

Author: Emmyjean

Classification: H/G, R/H, G/Other, Multiple POV

Summary: Ron and Hermione are finally a couple, and Harry is only beginning to realize his true feelings for Ginny - but is it too little, too late? Set during Harry's seventh year.

Spoilers: Through Goblet of Fire

Rating: PG

Notes: Everything belongs to Rowling.

****

PART EIGHT

"Would you just look at this? I look like an asparagus stick!" Ginny lamented as she regarded herself in the full-length bedroom mirror. Hermione glanced over from where she was sitting on the bed, applying sunblock to her legs. __

"Nonsense...that is an adorable bathing suit. I wish I had one just like it."

Ginny frowned disbelievingly as she adjusted the swimsuit in question - it was green and rather plain. She didn't know exactly what Hermione found so cute about it, and decided she must simply be attempting to make her feel better about having to wear it. Sighing, she turned and said,

"I reckon if YOU had one like it, you'd fill it out much better than I could."

She glanced enviously at Hermione's full figure. She looked so...mature. Ginny sometimes felt she might has well have stayed twelve, for all the growing she did. She was still as short as the day she finished her first year at Hogwarts, and she had very modest...er, attributes.

"Ginny, I don't know what you're on about," she tutted, coming over to stand next to Ginny in the mirror, "You fill out a swimsuit as well as any girl I've seen - trust me. You've done a lot of growing in the past couple of years!"

Ginny merely shrugged, determined not to let Hermione distort her self-image. She simply had to accept herself for what she was, and that was hard enough without gratuitous encouragement, even if it was offered in friendship. She turned and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around her waist, and walked out the door. As she clomped gracelessly down the stairs in her floppy shoes, she laughed to herself at her father's sudden urge to bring the entire family down to the beach for a swim. It was the last day of their holiday, as they were leaving for the Burrow the next morning - and besides the whole bathing suit dilemma, she was actually looking forward to this afternoon with the family. And...everyone.

"Where's Hermione?" Ron questioned as soon as Ginny got into the sitting room.

"She'll come down in a minute," Ginny replied, noting that Harry and Ron were already in their trunks. They had t-shirts on as well and towels flung over their shoulders...they looked impatient to get going. Hermione must be fretting, Ginny thought, as this was the first time Ron would ever see her in anything remotely revealing...or at least, she thought it was the first time. For all Ginny knew...no, she thought firmly. She didn't want her mind heading in that_ direction._

Suddenly, she was struck by the fact that she hadn't even thought about the idea of she and Harry swimming together - or rather, the idea of Harry seeing HER in a bathing suit. She glanced his way, and found he was looking absently in her direction. As he realized she was looking back at him, his eyes focused and he gave her a little smile. She returned it, and mentally gave herself a pat on the back at her lack of concern for her appearance in front of him. It must signify some_ progress, right?_

At that moment, Hermione finally came down, and amidst embarrased glances passing between Ron and Hermione and amused ones between Harry and herself, they all trudged outside and down the stairs to the beach to join the rest of the Weasley family.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"I sincerely wish I could get new robes this time around," Ginny said wistfully as she and Hermione stared through the windows of a fancy robe shop in Hogsmeade.

"What do you mean, Gin? Your robes are lovely," Hermione responded kindly.

Ginny sighed, and smiled wryly at Hermione.

"Yes, I suppose they were...the first few hundred times I wore them."

They both laughed, and Hermione suggested they go inside and have a look...just for fun. As they slowly made their way around the boutique, admiring this and that, Ginny thought about how nice it was to be spending time with some female company. Not that she didn't have her friends...but it was rare she ever got one of them alone, they traveled in a group most of the time. She fingered a particularly silky material, and commented,

"I really hate all this, you know...trying to decide what to wear, how to do your hair, what jewelry to use..."

Hermione came to run her fingers across the material, too, and replied, "What kind of girl are you, then?"

They both laughed, and Ginny said, "I know, it's ridiculous."

"Ginny, can I ask you something?" Hermione asked, suddenly serious.

Ginny frowned slightly and nodded her head yes.

"Were you...I mean, I was wondering..." Hermione faltered a bit before she finally got out, "Was it my imagination, or were you upset that Harry didn't ask you to the dance?"

She opened her mouth to deny it, but the words died in her throat as she looked into Hermione's concerned eyes. She didn't know why she ever expected to hide anything from her...after all, she had practically been her best friend for the past few years.

"Yes...I suppose, in a way, I was," Ginny admitted quietly instead.

Hermione paused, as if she didn't know how to respond. Suddenly, she smiled, and explained quickly,

"Actually, I expected you to deny it."

Ginny laughed, and Hermione joined in nervously.

"So did I, actually," she replied.

After looking at a few more robes, Hermione continued,

"Why? I mean, is it...is it because you still...you know..."

"No...at least, I really don't think so. I just...I wanted Harry to ask me so that I could go to the dance with someone I could really feel comfortable being around. Not that I don't like Justin...I do, very much. I only mean that...well, now I _do _have to worry about all these things."

"What things?" Hermione broke in, confused.

"You know...what to wear and how to act. I wouldn't have had to even think about it had I been going with Harry. Does this make any sense? Do I have to fancy a boy like...like _that_...to want them to ask me to a dance?" she asked as she cast a pleading look at Hermione. This was something she had been wrestling with for days, ever since that horrible night in the common room.

Hermione thought for a moment, and then replied, "No, of course not. Actually, this situation rings a bell for me. I felt the same way about going with Viktor Krum to that Yule Ball in my fourth year."

"You did?"

Hermione nodded, and took her hand to lead her out of the shop, as the sales witch was now giving them nasty looks. Once they were back out on the relatively uncrowded Hogsmeade street, she continued,

"I really wanted to go with Ron, for almost the exact reasons you are describing as to why you wanted to go to the Spring Festival with Harry - he was my friend, and he was someone I felt I could be myself around without worrying about keeping up appearances."

"But," Ginny asked, almost dreading the answer, "didn't you also fancy Ron?"

Hermione looked at her almost apologetically, as if she knew she had only made things more complicated for Ginny. She bit her lip and said,

"Well...yes, there was that, too, but...it doesn't mean anything. Not as compared to your situation at least...actually, they're very different - for all their similarities."

Ginny sighed and cast her eyes wearily up at the cloudy sky...Hermione was not making sense, and even she knew it herself. There were many times Ginny could recall when Hermione said things that didn't make much sense to some people, but the important thing was that it always sounded perfectly coherent to Hermione herself.

The fact that she was obviously prattling on with no plan or rational train of thought now...well, it simply confirmed the utter confusion of Ginny's situation. Needless to say, it also did nothing to ease Ginny's nerves...or calm the whirlwind of thoughts that had been racing through her poor brain ever since she heard that Harry Potter was taking Hannah Abbott to the dance.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

__

All of the Weasleys - with the exception of their mother, who was on the beach setting up a picnic - plus Harry and Hermione were thoroughly engrossed in a Muggle game called Marco-Polo. After Hermione had explained the rules to everyone, no one could resist - especially Fred and George, who could only imagine the mischevious possibilities. At the moment, Ron was "it", and Ginny couldn't help giggling as he reached blindly around him in search of someone to tag. He heard this and, with a smug smile, bellowed,

"Marco!"

They all answered "Polo!" and Ron's smile grew as he headed in Ginny's direction. She tried not to squeal as she jumped out of the way of Ron's long arm - but her eyes widened and a horrified gasp caught in her throat as she watched her brother's large hand close on Hermione, who had been standing behind her.

Not just any part_ of Hermione, either._

Hermione's eyes widened and she seemed unable to speak. Ron snatched his hand away from her as if he'd been burned, and pulled the blindfold off his head to further demonstrate the fact that his face was turning bright crimson even as a smile threatened to break out on his face.

"Wow...sorry, Hermione. I didn't mean to do that, I swear. I couldn't see what I was grabbing..."

Hermione began blushing furiously as well, and the rest of the group got over their shocked silence and began to roar with laughter...well, all except her father, who had been so preoccupied in shouting a response to her mother's demand that they all come and eat that he hadn't seen anything.

"What? What happened - did he tag someone?" he asked, looking around.

"Oh, he tagged her all right," George managed in between gasps and cackling like a fool. Ginny shot him a look and he didn't say more, as Fred pounded Ron on the back in some sort of sick gesture of congratulations. Ginny smiled apologetically at Hermione who, to her surprise, was even smiling along with everyone. She caught Ginny's expression and said cryptically,

"See what the disadvantages can be, Gin?"

Ginny began to laugh again, and replied honestly, "No...I don't!"

Hermione joined in laughing with her, and Ginny allowed herself to glance at Harry...at which point she felt her stomach clench and her face heat up beyond anything she'd ever felt. He had obviously heard her exchange with Hermione, and was now staring right at her…which normally wouldn't have fazed her quite as much, except what his green eyes were fixed upon was definitely NOT her face. Ginny had never caught anyone oogling her before - she wasn't even sure anyone ever had before. The fact that it was Harry...she didn't know where to look. __

The decision was taken from her, however, as Harry finally tore his gaze away from her "attributes" and went to follow Ron back to the shore. Ginny, still burning with embarrassment, grabbed Hermione's arm and held her back.

"Hermione...oh, my gosh."

"What is it?" Hermione asked, concerned.

"Harry heard us!" 

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, now furrowing her brow in puzzlement.

"He...he...when I looked at him, after...after we finished laughing about it...oh, Hermione, he was staring right at me!" Ginny finally managed in a frantic whisper.

"So what?"

"Not...at me, but rather at my...my..."

A look of realization dawned on Hermione's face, and she replied with a quiet, "Oh...oh. I see."

She then did something totally unexpected...she smiled indulgently at Ginny, waving her hand in the air as if to brush away Ginny's worry. Ginny frowned in exasperation and exclaimed,

"How can you think this is funny? I'm so humiliated..."

"Oh, Ginny! That's nothing to be concerned about...after all," she continued in a matter-of-fact tone, "Harry is a seventeen year-old boy. It's only natural that he should...notice things like that."

"But why is he noticing things like that about me!?" Ginny demanded.

Hermione laughed lightly and replied, "Ginny...I told you, you aren't exactly lacking in that department. You've grown up when we weren't looking...it's not really surprising to me that Harry should at least take notice of this."

She caught Ginny's still panicked look and said soothingly, "I know, it feels weird. Trust me, though...all men do it. It's an unconscious thing, I think. It doesn't mean anything."

Ginny morosely approached the beach blanket where everyone was sitting, only slightly comforted by Hermione's insistence that everything was just as it should be. She was hyper-aware of Harry's eyes the entire day after that, and thought she caught him looking at her one or two more times. It wasn't so much his looking that she was worried about...it was the reaction she was having to it. She should be angry, or at the very least indifferent - but she wasn't. She felt heady and inexplicably excited by Harry's attention, and only became more infuriated with herself as she felt these things.

She wasn't supposed to be feeling like this...she shouldn't allow herself such thoughts. It didn't fit into her life anymore...it never had. It would never go anywhere, and she'd end up regressing to a place she had thought she'd overcome long ago. She'd end up ruining everything she and Harry had built over the past few weeks.

She wouldn't risk it...and she hated that her blasted silly feelings were making it so hard for her to concentrate. She'd simply have to work harder to forget them once and for all…and resolved to accomplish this by the time school started. Surely, the distraction of Hogwarts life would knock some sense into her and allow her to completely accept being Harry's friend. 

Feeling slightly better now that she had set a concrete goal, she fell asleep that night almost looking forward to getting home...and back to reality.

To Be Continued in Chapter Nine

More fic by Emmyjean at:

The Hidden Tower

www.hiddentower.50megs.com


	9. An Abundance of Third Wheels (Chapter Ni...

Title: "An Abundance of Third Wheels" 

Author: Emmyjean

Classification: H/G, R/H, G/Other, Multiple POV

Summary: Ron and Hermione are finally a couple, and Harry is only beginning to realize his true feelings for Ginny - but is it too little, too late? Set during Harry's seventh year.

Spoilers: Through Goblet of Fire

Rating: PG

Notes: Everything belongs to Rowling.

****

PART NINE

"I don't know, d'you think my hair looks too...puffy?"

Harry turned to look at Ron and frowned, thinking that this was probably the stupidest question he had asked all night...only slightly worse than when he had inquired as to whether his socks matched his tie.

"It's fine...what do you care, anyway? It's just Hermione."

"Yeah, well...she's Head Girl, you know! She's got to have a date that looks as though he spent at least five minutes getting ready," Ron retorted defensively.

Harry smirked and replied, "I think you've got that beat by about two hours, Ron."

Ron shrugged, smoothing his red hair one last time in the mirror. Harry had to admit that the royal blue dress robes he was wearing did look nice with his coloring. He wondered briefly what Ginny would be wearing, and the thought sent him straight back into the foul mood he had been in all week.

Ron broke into his thoughts, "Speaking of getting ready, don't you at least want to straighten your tie?"

Harry scowled and strode over to stand next to Ron in the mirror, half-heartedly adjusting the black tie he wore under his green robes...which were almost imperceptibly wrinkled. He had found out in the past month that Hannah Abbott had only asked him to the dance so hastily because she, too, had thought that Justin had asked Ginny. She had been in hot pursuit of Justin for the past two years, and when she had seen him rush out of the Great Hall that night after Ginny, she had been intensely jealous. As a result, he found he couldn't care less what she or anyone else thought of him.

"Look mate, I know you aren't all too excited for this dance, and I'm not one of those blokes who does nothing but talk about how great Hannah is, but...don't you think you should at least put in some effort for her sake?"

"No," Harry replied simply.

"But..."

Harry sighed and turned to look at Ron, "The only reason she asked me in the first place was to make Fletchley jealous...and who better to accomplish that than the Boy-Who-Bloody-Lived? It makes me feel ill."

Ron held up his hands in front of him in surrender as he conceeded Harry's point, and then said,

"Well, we might as well get down to the entrance hall...they're waiting for us there."

They walked out of the common room together, and Harry found himself dreading this night as he had never dreaded anything in his life - well, anything that didn't have to do with Voldemort. He shuddered a little at the thought, feeling even more that his going to this dance was a ridiculous thing to do - he didn't want to go if it wasn't with Ginny, and right now there were much more pressing matters at hand than having a good time. He knew he wasn't alone in his fear of what would happen should Voldemort strike Hogwarts...but he was the one who would have to deal with it.

Pushing this thought from his mind, he followed Ron through the doors to the entrance hall and saw Hermione and Hannah standing there waiting. Hannah looked to be quite put-out, and Harry expected she was angry he hadn't gone to pick her up at the Hufflepuff dormitory. She was decked out in her finest sky blue robes and silver bangles, her blonde curls cascading around her face, making her look like an artist's interperetation of an angel.

She didn't appeal to Harry in the least.

"Hermione, you look...wow," he heard Ron saying next to him, and he had to admit that he was right. Hermione had decided against straightening her hair this time, and instead had worked with the curls rather than against them. They were tied up at the crown of her head with pink flowers, and fell halfway down her back. She wore rose-colored robes of the lightest material, and her makeup was impeccable. Harry smiled at her as she blushed to match her garments, and said,

"You do look very nice, Hermione. Well done."

Hannah cleared her throat impatiently, and Harry barely glanced at her as he grudgingly offered her his arm and added, "You too."

She huffed as she grabbed his elbow roughly, and they didn't say anything more to each other as they led the way to the great tent which stood on the front lawns. It was sheer, but it glowed welcomingly in the moonlight. The music which was being played inside could be heard faintly as they approached, along with the cheerful chattering of voices. The decadent smells of various food dishes prepared for the occasion were wafting through the warm spring air, and the breeze brought the scent of dozens and dozens of roses.

Harry wondered when he could leave and go to bed.

They walked through the opening to the tent, and Ron and Hermione quickly found a table where they could sit. The tent was lit with thousands of tiny white lights, and a great many fireflies flew this way and that at the ceiling of the tent. There were flowers and candles everywhere, and the tent looked at least three times bigger in here than it had from outside.

"Come on, let's have a dance," Hermione said breathlessly as she pulled Ron behind her to the crowded dance floor. Harry smiled to himself as he watched them go - they seemed to be very happy together. 

"Well?" 

Harry turned, frowning, toward the grating voice that had interrupted his train of thought, and found that Hannah was watching him expectantly.

"Well what?"

She rolled her ice blue eyes and asked, "Aren't you going to ask me to dance?"

His dark brows came together even more as he replied with distaste, "Why can't you just find someone else? Who knows...maybe Justin won't completely ignore you."

Her blonde brows snapped together and she hissed, "We have to dance at least _once_, Harry Potter! Then, _believe _me, I'll take great pleasure in leaving you to your own devices for the rest of the night!"

He stood up quickly and replied, "If that's a promise, then I accept. Come on."

He didn't wait for her, but merely assumed she was following him as he strode out onto the floor. Once in a good spot, he turned and found her right behind him, glaring at his back. They got into the dance position, although they were both very stiff with the effort to avoid touching each other as much as possible. After a few moments, however, Hannah suddenly leaned forward and, pressing herself closely to his front, smiled up into his face and laughed. Harry thought for a moment she had gone batty, but then caught sight of the cause of her behavior.

Justin was dancing not ten feet away from them...and in his arms was Ginny. 

Harry thought he might fall on the floor as his mouth dropped open and he forgot to breathe. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his life. She wore robes of the palest lavendar, and they flowed elegantly behind her as she danced. Her hair was cascading around her shoulders in luxuriant waves, and in this light it didn't contain a hint of orange - it was a dark, deep red. Her skin glowed luminously and her eyes sparkled in the twinkling lights, and when she smiled it seemed the entire room got brighter.

Harry shook his head to clear his mind and felt a sharp pang of hatred for Fletchley pierce his chest...but it was also a hatred for himself. If he hadn't been so hasty in accepting Hannah's phony invitation to the dance, it could have been him dancing with Ginny. It should have been him.

The song ended, and Harry practically pushed Hannah away from him as he muttered, 

"I'm going to sit down...have a nice night."

She jerked her chin into the air in response, and he expected he would never have another conversation with her again - not that he cared. He turned and went back to the table, where Ron and Hermione were already sitting.

"Where's Hannah?" Hermione asked casually.

"I don't know, and I don't care," Harry replied caustically, and instead of the scolding he thought she would give him, Hermione smiled slightly and winked at him.

"Good...now we can enjoy ourselves. Harry, would you dance with me next?"

Harry smiled - he had been planning on sitting for the rest of the evening and watching Ginny like a hawk, but for his best friend...he'd do anything.

"Sure...happy to, Hermione."

He surprisingly found the dance with Hermione to be quite enjoyable, and she managed to keep his mind off of Ginny for the entire three minute duration of the song. When it was over, she went back to Ron and Harry sat in his seat at their table...and his eyes searched out and found Ginny. It wasn't difficult...she was the prettiest girl on the floor. She was still dancing with Justin, and Harry had to physically restrain himself from glowering directly at them. 

He remained this way for a good amount of time, until finally he could tell that Ron and Hermione were becoming distinctly worried about him. Figuring that he didn't want Ron to start becoming suspicious of the fact that Harry was using his eyes to bore holes into his little sister's back, he stood up. He didn't really think about where he was going, and it was as if his legs simply carried him straight to where Ginny and Justin were standing. Luckily, the previous song ended just as he approached and it gave him an opening.

"Can I have a dance, Ginny?" he asked, glancing at Fletchley as though he was daring him to protest.

Ginny smiled brightly and replied, "Of course, Harry! You don't mind, do you, Justin?"

Justin looked as though he minded very much, in fact, but refrained from saying anything as Harry gritted his teeth at Ginny's asking his permission. Justin retreated back towards the sitting area as Harry turned to face Ginny...and nearly lost his balance as he looked into her shining chocolate-colored eyes.

"I've been wondering when you were going to come and ask me for a dance, Harry," she commented laughingly.

He smiled genuinely for the first time all night as he answered fondly, "Well, it's just that I had to work up my courage. It's not easy for a boy to simply walk up to a girl as pretty as you and ask her for a dance."

Ginny blushed beautifully, and Harry found himself completely entranced with her. He had the sudden crazy urge to simply ask her to leave the dance with him and walk around the grounds, but something told him that this would definitely give away his feelings - and not just to her. He glanced in Ron's direction as he took Ginny's hand in his, and found that his friend was completely wrapped up in his own date...emboldened slightly with this knowledge, he placed his other hand on Ginny's waist and gripped her tightly.

"So," he asked as they started swaying to the melody which was, much to Harry's relief, a slow tune, "Having a nice time?"

Ginny nodded slowly, and asked, "You?"

Harry laughed a little and replied, "Not until a few seconds ago, no."

Ginny blushed once again at this compliment, but then replied, "Why not? Don't you think it's beautiful in here?"

"Yeah, I do...but remember, I had to come with Hannah Abbott."

Ginny cast her eyes to the floor, and remarked quietly, "Well...you're the one who asked her."

Harry tightened his grip on her hand and she looked up into his eyes.

"I didn't ask Hannah to the dance, Ginny. She asked me."

Ginny's brows furrowed slightly and she replied, "She did?"

"Yes," Harry admitted honestly, deciding that now was as good a time as any to set the record straight, "I only accepted her invitation because I...I thought you were already going with Justin."

Ginny's eyes widened as she listened to him, and she almost stopped dancing entirely.

"Y...you would have asked _me_?"

"Of course," Harry replied, amazed that she would even be surprised at this, "You were the first one I thought of, as usual."

Ginny stared at him for two more beats, and then grin spread across her face. She laughed softly and said,

"We've come a long way from last year, haven't we?"

He nodded slowly, not breaking eye contact with her. The smile faded from her face as she returned his look, and she finished,   
"I'm glad you thought of me first, even if it didn't turn out. It's nice being your friend."

It was on the tip of Harry's tongue to tell her everything that was in his heart at that moment...only the song ended. Not two seconds later, Justin was back at their side waiting to take Ginny's hand once more. Harry frowned at him as he considered that the bastard must have just sat there waiting until the song was over.

"Thanks for the dance, Harry...save me another one if you can, okay?" Ginny asked.

Harry nodded mutely and retreated back to his table, where Ron was sitting. 

"Where's Hermione?" Harry asked grumpily as he took his seat.

"Oh, she's dancing with Dumbledore."

Harry started and swept the crowd with his gaze - and sure enough, in the center of the dance floor, there was Hermione in her pink robes dancing with the headmaster - in HIS pink robes. Harry, despite his mood, couldn't help laughing.

"Well, at least they're a good match," he quipped to Ron, who smiled broadly in return.

"Yeah...if only her Muggle parents could see this."

Harry looked about the room for Ginny then, getting back to his self-appointed task - and what he saw when he found her made his spirits plummet. She was heading out of the tent with Justin...he was leading her by the hand. Harry felt his face burn with anger as he watched them walk back to the castle through the sheer tent wall, and was about to stand up and go after them when he thought better of it. It wasn't, technically, his business...but it was Ron's.

"Ron, did you see that?"

"What?" Ron asked around a mouthful of cake, glancing around.

"Ginny just left with Justin," Harry replied shortly.

"Wh...Justin? Where'd they go?"

"Back to the castle, you prat. You aren't just going to let this happen, are you?"

"Um...let what happen? I suppose she just wanted to go back early..."

Harry leaned in closer to his friend, his eyes blazing, and replied, "You know what kind of reputation Fletchley has with girls!"

"Yeah, but..."

"And HE was leading HER, Ron," Harry finished pointedly.

Ron's expression darkened as Harry's meaning sunk in. He set down his fork and stood up, his fists clenched.

"If he tries anything with my sister, I'll..."

"Let's just go stop it before anything _can_ happen," Harry interrupted, anxious to catch up with them. 

Ron nodded determinedly, and as he and Harry made their way to the tent opening leading outside they heard Hermione call from the dance floor,

"Where are you two going?" 

Ron, seemingly wrapped up in his newfound quest, barely glanced at her as he yelled back, "Just for some air...we'll be right back."

As they made their way back to the castle, Harry's emotions were warring within him - half of him wanted desperately to get there before anything could happen between Justin and Ginny. The other half, however, almost wanted to interrupt something - just so that he could watch Ron beat the stupid git up.

Maybe at that point he could even join in without being too conspicuous. With that thought spurring him on, he followed Ron determinedly up the stairs to the tower.

__

To Be Continued in Part Ten

More fic by Emmyjean at

The Hidden Tower

www.hiddentower.50megs.com


	10. An Abundance of Third Wheels (Chapter Te...

Title: "An Abundance of Third Wheels" 

Author: Emmyjean

Classification: H/G, R/H, G/Other, Multiple POV

Summary: Ron and Hermione are finally a couple, and Harry is only beginning to realize his true feelings for Ginny - but is it too little, too late? Set during Harry's seventh year.

Spoilers: Through Goblet of Fire

Rating: PG

Notes: Everything belongs to Rowling.

****

PART TEN

"Justin…you really didn't need to walk me up. It's out of your way completely," Ginny said, struggling not to stammer as she stood in the darkened corridor with Justin. He was standing very close to her.

"It's alright...I wanted to," he replied in a quiet voice which for some reason made shivers rush down her spine.

"Well," she began, but then made the mistake of looking up at his face, and lost her train of thought entirely. He was looking at her in a way no boy had ever done before...as if he was trying to absorb her with his eyes. She swallowed, and felt him step almost imperceptibly closer to her. She thought she must have imagined it...but then he reached out and gently took her hands in his.

She felt herself getting dizzy as her breathing became heavier out of sheer nerves, and he very slowly bent his head toward hers - an action which was made even more gradual with the fact that time seemed to be going in slow-motion for Ginny. He was going to kiss her - she knew it somehow. She had known it was going to happen from the minute he suggested he walk her back to Gryffindor Tower - and she hadn't done anything to stop it. She didn't even know if she wanted to stop it...or if she wanted him to do it. It was too late to think about it now, and she closed her eyes and allowed her mind to shut down as he grew closer...she could feel his warm breath on her lips...

"GINNY!"

Ginny jumped back so fast she almost pushed Justin away from her. Disconcerted, she looked about for the voice she recognized but was too afraid to place - and was soon met with the sight she was dreading she'd see. There, about fifteen feet away in the dark hallway, stood Ron. His arms were crossed in front of him, his feet were spread apart in silent challenge, and his face wore a murderous expression. Ginny almost fainted when she recognized that the figure that was standing hidden in the shadows behind him was...Harry.

"Just what the hell do you think you're doing?" Ron shouted - but he wasn't looking at Ginny now. He was addressing Justin. 

Ginny glanced at Justin, and found Ron's furious expression mirrored on his handsome face...only when he spoke, it wasn't to her brother.

"What is your problem, Potter?" he grit out.

Ginny's perplexed eyes shot back to Ron and Harry...and what she saw made her face go white. Harry wasn't confused at Justin's words, nor was he angry. The only word Ginny knew that accurately desribed his expression was - triumphant. A small, cocky smile creeped across his face, and his arms were crossed in front of him in self-satisfaction.

"Did I miss something or did you, Fletchley? I asked you a bloody question...you answer ME," Ron said incredulously.

"Or can't you stand to lose at anything? No, not the great Harry Potter..." Justin continued as if he hadn't heard Ron speak. Ron's face went visibly red even in the shadows of the corridor, and Harry's eyebrows merely shot up infuriatingly. 

"Harry has nothing to do with this!" Ron shouted, his arms uncrossing.

"The bloody hell he doesn't," Justin said dangerously, "She's nothing more than another contest to him...another Quidditch match, another snitch to catch..."

"Enough!" Ron yelled, "I want to know what the HELL you think you're doing, standing here in a darkened hall alone with my sister! What were you planning on doing, snogging her silly right in front of the Fat Lady? Do you have any idea what that would do to her reputation?"

Ginny couldn't stand to hear any more. She decided that because no one seemed to be noting her presence at all anymore anyway, and also because she was about to burst into tears, she would simply take this opportunity to leave. She'd kill Ron later, and Justin...and Harry. She felt she could die of humiliation right this minute. Turning, she choked out the password to the worried-looking fat lady, who thankfully swung open obligingly to let her through.

No one tried to stop her.

She paced the common room, trying to get her breathing under control. If she didn't, it was very likely to turn into sobs at any moment. She couldn't believe Ron would do this to her. After all, wasn't everyone entitled to their own romantic lives without worry of interference and embarrassment? Didn't she keep her nose out of anything he and Hermione ever did, even if she knew it wasn't something Mum would like? Didn't she keep his confidences? 

She stopped pacing and sighed painfully - she had thought that she and Ron were closer than all this. She had thought she could trust him.

Suddenly, the portrait hole slid open, and she turned just in time to see Harry climb through in his immaculate green dress robes. The passage closed behind him as he started towards her.

"Harry," she wailed miserably, knowing how awful she must sound, "Why didn't you stop him? How could you let him DO this to me?"

Harry's brows furrowed as he stopped a few feet away from her.

"I did stop him," he replied.

"What?" Ginny was completely confused, "What are you talking about? You were standing right behind him...you didn't do anything! You didn't even speak!"

Harry's brilliant green eyes lit up in realization, and then darkened in anger as he replied vehemently,

"_Stop_ him? I completely support Ron in what he did tonight."

"What?" she whispered, shocked.

Harry let out a silent huff of laughter, and continued, "What did you expect him to do, just stand by and let you get swept off your feet by a rake like Fletchley?"

Ginny frowned and shook her head, unable to believe what she was hearing.

"R-rake? I thought...I thought you two liked Justin?"

"Well, not anymore," was Harry's harsh reply.

Ginny felt rage bubbling up inside her...she had lost the support of her brother that night. Was she also going to lose her trust in Harry?

"What...what _right _do you have to make judgements, Harry Potter!?" she nearly screamed at him, her fists clenching at her sides.

He advanced on her, his eyes now blazing.

"How can you ask me that?"

Ginny laughed humorlessly and replied, "I don't NEED another brother telling me how to live my life, Harry!"

"I don't WANT to be your BROTHER, Ginny!" he shouted back, surprising her into silence. They were both breathing very heavily now.

Ginny suddenly felt her anger drain out of her as suddenly as it had come as she realized that they were standing very close together...her chest was almost touching his. She didn't break eye contact, and suddenly the atmosphere surrounding them changed. It became charged with a kind of tension that Ginny had never felt before, and her heart began to beat ten times faster because of it. Harry's eyes changed - they were no longer glinting with fury. There was something else in their depths now, something Ginny found strangely familiar...

Then it hit her like a ton of bricks to the chest. He was looking at her the same way Justin had been a few moments earlier. She swallowed, and felt as if she was going to burn up with heat and break out in a cold sweat at the same time. Her mind was reeling, and suddenly it was as if pieces of a puzzle were falling into place in her head. The things Justin had said to Harry in the corridor...the charm Harry had bought her...the way he was looking at her now. She thought she saw him lean closer, his eyes not leaving hers...

...and then the portrait hole slid open again and Ron came stomping in.

"The nerve of that prat! I don't know who the hell he thinks he is, talking to me like that...and anyway, what did YOU think you were doing?" he asked, rounding on Ginny, who had jumped back from Harry when Ron had come in.

"I...I don't..." she stammered, feeling her throat begin to clench. She couldn't believe this was happening...nothing was making sense. She had been having such a lovely night, and then this happened.

"I mean honestly, Ginny, don't you care at all about what people think of you? Or our family, for that matter?" Ron went on.

Ginny turned and looked at Harry, who was still looking at her...now with an expression on his face that was somewhere between puzzlement and shock. He obviously couldn't believe what he'd almost just done - of course. He hadn't meant for any of it to have happened just now. How could Ginny have thought that he actually wanted to kiss her...or something? He was probably thanking his lucky starts that Ron had interruped...and ended the foolish wishful thinking of a stupid, silly girl. She felt her lower lip begin to tremble and her eyes well up with tears.

"Ginny?" Ron ventured, his voice softer now.

She felt the tears begin to fall, and Harry's expression fell - he was now looking guilty. That was all she needed. Pity - from the boy she loved. No point in deluding herself anymore, as long as the truth was coming out.

Just then, the portrait hole slid open one last time...and an enraged Hermione climbed through.

"Ron!? Where in Merlin's name did you GO? I sat there like a fool, waiting for you to get back...but then I realized that you had obviously ditched me..." her voice trailed off and her eyes narrowed as they fell upon Ginny, who had indeed begun sobbing.

"What's wrong with Ginny?" she demanded, in a dangerous tone.

Ginny, unable to bear the awkwardness of the situation or the shame of her weeping in front of them any longer, turned, pushed past Harry, and ran up the stairs to the girls dormitories. She needed to lie down, to think, to be alone...to have a decent cry.

Then, maybe she'd be able to come to some kind of settlement with herself on how she was ever going to handle this nightmare - Justin, Ron, Hermione...Harry, and her feelings for him. Right now, all she wanted to do was go to sleep and never wake up again.

__

To Be Continued in Part Eleven

More fic by Emmyjean at

The Hidden Tower

www.hiddentower.50megs.com


	11. An Abundance of Third Wheels (Chapter El...

Title: "An Abundance of Third Wheels" 

Author: Emmyjean

Classification: H/G, R/H, G/Other, Multiple POV

Summary: Ron and Hermione are finally a couple, and Harry is only beginning to realize his true feelings for Ginny - but is it too little, too late? Set during Harry's seventh year.

Spoilers: Through Goblet of Fire

Rating: PG

Notes: Everything belongs to Rowling.

****

PART ELEVEN

Justin leaned against the cold stone wall, his eyes trained on the stairway to his left. He knew that all the Gryffindors always came via that stairway to the Great Hall, and he wanted to speak to Ginny before breakfast. He hadn't been able to sleep all night, thinking about everything that had happened yesterday evening. There were some things he said that he knew he had to apologize for...he would never have said them if it hadn't been for his blind rage at Potter's interruption.

He glared into space as he recalled the confrontation outside the Gryffindor Common Room. He had been thinking all night about how much he wanted to tell her - finally tell her - what she meant to him. He didn't know if he was in love, because he didn't think he'd ever been in love. All he knew was that he had never before felt this strongly about any girl. All he wanted to do was spend time with her, and he didn't care who knew. He would have accomplished this already if her brother and Harry hadn't broken in. It wasn't Weasley he was necessarily angry at...he knew that Ron would never have thought to intervene if Potter hadn't suggested it to him. Justin would be prepared to bet money that this is what had happened. Damn prat...he didn't want Ginny's affections, but the minute she began to give them to someone else, he became bothered by it. 

A flash of red hair caught his eye, and as he turned to look he could see her coming down the stairs. For once, she wasn't surrounded by her friends - she was walking alone, looking forlorn. This would make it easier for him to say what he needed to say.

"Ginny!" he called softly as she walked past him, laying a hand on her arm. She looked up at him as he pulled her to the side, and he could swear he read guilt in her eyes. Surely, she didn't blame herself for anything that had happened?

"How are you?" he asked tentatively as he brushed her hand with his.

She heaved a trembling sigh, and answered quietly, "Oh...as well as can be expected, I suppose."

He laughed softly, and continued, "Listen...I wanted to apologize for everything that happened last night."

She waved her hand and said, "No, Justin...please don't. Nothing was your fault."

"I know," he agreed, "But there were some things I said that I regret saying in front of you, because I think they were probably very embarrassing. I need you to know that I would never do anything to intentionally hurt you, Ginny."

She looked up at him, and he thought he could see her eyes welling up with tears. He reached up and brushed her cheek with his thumb, and said, "Look, I...I need to say some things to you. I've...been wanting to say them for some time now."

She closed her eyes, and he thought for the hundredth time how utterly sweet and real she was. His heart gave a slightly painful twinge as he thought it. He unthinkingly reached to push her thick red hair behind her shoulders, and found that it was tangled on the chain she wore. He smiled, and went to untangle it for her...and then let his smile fade as he caught a glimpse of the pendant that was pulled out from underneath her robes by his efforts.

It was that Unicorn Stone she had been admiring that day at Hogsmeade. He had been planning on getting it for her for her birthday in a few weeks, assuming everything worked out between them. She had been talking about how she couldn't afford it...for herself...

He looked back into her deep brown eyes and found them looking straight back at him, watching him with what Justin could now definitely say was guilt. He frowned slightly as he fingered the stone, and suddenly came to a realization - she had gone to the last Hogsmeade weekend with Potter. It must have been him who had gotten it for her...but, it hadn't been part of a necklace when he had seen it. That must have been done of her own accord. He felt his heart sink like a stone to his stomach as he realized what this meant.

"Potter?" he asked quietly, laying the stone gently back to its resting place on her front.

She nodded feebly, casting her eyes to the floor as she did.

He sighed, and replied, "I see."

She looked up quickly and said, "Justin...it's just that I..."

"I know," he interrupted, his bitter disappointment and the terrible ache that had begun to seep through his chest making it impossible for him to be completely understanding, "I guess knew it all the time...I just didn't want to admit it to myself."

She looked back down and stared intently at his chest, apparently not able to reply. It was all the response he needed.

"You'd rather be pining after him than with someone who...who cares about you and is willing to do something about it?" he asked, his voice still soft and low.

"Justin, it's not that simple. If only I could explain it to you..."

"It's alright," he interrupted, suddenly very tired, "I don't need to know."

"Justin, please..."

"No, really," he continued, unable to keep the words inside, "I have to hand it to Potter...he must have _something _going for him."

She met his eyes once more, her own looking misty and sad. His heart broke for the second time in five minutes, and he couldn't help wishing he hadn't been so harsh and trying one last time.

"Ginny...you don't have to settle for anything."

She let out a breath and replied, "Justin...I wish I could make you understand. If I were to continue to see you, it would be _you_ who was settling. There..."

He wanted to say more but knew that it was no use. She was in love with Potter, and there was nothing anyone could do about that. Not him, not her, not even Harry himself. A surge of anger enveloped him at the injustice of it all...he had finally found a girl who he thought was perfect, and she was already spoken for by someone who wouldn't even treat her the way she should be treated. He looked once more into her dark, expressive eyes...and knew he had to get away from her before he begged her to reconsider.

"Well...I guess I'll see you around, then," he said quietly, secretly hoping he wouldn't have to see her very often anymore. It would hurt too much.

Her face fell as she understood the truth behind his statement, and she cast her eyes downward as she replied, "Oh...yes, of course."

She turned to leave, but for some reason that was beyond him, he caught her arm. He didn't want to say goodbye like that. On an impulse, he bent his head and gave her soft cheek a lingering kiss. It was so much less than what he wanted to do - but he knew it was his absolute last chance to do anything at all. He straightened, and she smiled at him before turning and walking in the opposite direction of the Great Hall...he couldn't blame her. He wasn't hungry anymore, either.

After watching her walk out of sight around a distant corner, he turned to head back up to the Hufflepuff dorms...and caught sight of Harry and Ron coming down the staircase on the way to the Great Hall for breakfast. He felt his anger not as a hot ball in his chest, but rather as a dull, cold lump of metal in his stomach. He felt as if he was going to be sick, and knew he had to say something. He didn't know what, but before he had a chance to think he called,

"Hey, Potter!" 

Harry turned and regarded him with a frown on his face, and Justin suddenly know exactly what he wanted him to know. He walked over to stand beside him and said in a low voice,

"You don't deserve her."

With that, he walked away as Ron looked at his friend with a startled expression on his face. He knew that would cause some problems. He knew he had gotten out at least some of his frustration.

Unfortunately, he didn't feel any better...he suspected he wouldn't for a long while.

__

To Be Continued in Part Twelve

More fic by Emmyjean at

The Hidden Tower

www.hiddentower.50megs.com


	12. An Abundance of Third Wheels (Chapter Tw...

Title: "An Abundance of Third Wheels" 

Author: Emmyjean

Classification: H/G, R/H, G/Other, Multiple POV

Summary: Ron and Hermione are finally a couple, and Harry is only beginning to realize his true feelings for Ginny - but is it too little, too late? Set during Harry's seventh year.

Spoilers: Through Goblet of Fire

Rating: PG

Notes: Everything belongs to Rowling.

****

PART TWELVE

Harry stared at Fletchley's retreating back, feeling as though he had just given him a punch to the stomach rather than a mere verbal jibe. He didn't know for sure what had caused this sudden display of animosity, but he could guess as to what had happened. After Ginny had retreated to her dorm the night before, Hermione had let both him and Ron have it. She had told them that what Ginny did was none of their business, and that they had acted childishly and like inconsiderate boors - or something to that effect. Ron had fought back for all he was worth, claiming that his right to interfere came with the fact that he was Ginny's older brother, and that he needed to look out for her. 

Needless to say, Hermione had soon followed Ginny's example and had stomped up to her own dorm...she still wasn't talking to them this morning.

While this fight had been going on, Harry hadn't been able to think of anything other than Ginny, alone and crying in her bed. He had never felt so utterly wretched in all his life - and when he had finally had the chance to think about the entire episode later, he realized that he didn't have any rights to speak of in this case. At least Ron had his position as her brother...but what was Harry? 

Not only that, but he had been waiting with baited breath for Ron or Hermione to ask him what he had to do with all this, and why he had suggested going after her in the first place...well, at least he was waiting for _Ron_ to mention it. Hermione didn't know about that, thankfully. He supposed Ron had just assumed he was looking out for Ginny as a courtesy to the family, or out of some sense of responsibility towards Ron. Maybe Ron even thought it was a result of brotherly feelings Harry himself possessed for Ginny...or, he might have. Not anymore.

"Harry?" 

As if on cue, Ron's voice broke into his thoughts. They were still standing on the stairs, and Harry was still staring blankly in the direction Justin had long since disappeared. He turned to look at Ron and, if the situation weren't so grim, would have laughed at the bewildered expression on his face.

"What the hell was that all about? He must be going crazy," Ron muttered, but he eyed Harry as if he was trying very hard to figure something out.

Harry sighed...this couldn't go on. He was simply going to have to tell Ron the truth. He got the sudden feeling that even if Ron strangled him to death over this, it would still feel better than all this bloody pretending.

"Ron...I have to talk to you."

Ron swallowed and shifted his books to the other arm almost nervously.

"So talk."

Harry shook his head, and then jerked his thumb in the general direction of Gryffindor Tower.

"Alone...it's kind of important."

Ron nodded, but didn't say anything. Harry led the way back to the tower, going in the opposite direction of all the other Gryffindors who were heading down to breakfast. He kept looking for either Ginny or Hermione while he walked, but was glad not to see either of them. He needed to get this off his chest, but he'd be damned if he was going to do it with an audience looking on. Finally, they got back to the common room and Harry was relieved to find it completely deserted. He sat, then beckoned for Ron to sit down in a chair across from him. He did, and then finally he spoke.

"Harry, what's this all about? Is something the matter?"

Harry swallowed, and suddenly felt as though he was going to choke. How was he supposed to do this? He had never planned on having to confess to Ron about his feelings for Ginny, because he never planned to act on them. He had assumed they would simply go away, not grow into something that was unbearable. He looked up and found Ron making an effort to look relaxed, although his eyes were regarding Harry intensely.

"Ron," he began, "You've been very happy with Hermione over the past year or so...right?"

Ron nodded slowly, frowning slightly as if he hadn't expected this question. Harry took a breath and pushed his glasses further up his nose for want of something physical to do.

"Well...when you first started...er, y'know...I promised myself that I'd do everything I could to allow you and Hermione time to yourselves. Even if it meant making myself scarce, I knew that it was the only right thing to do."

"But Harry..."

Harry held up a hand, knowing he had to continue until he finished, or he would lose his nerve. Ron shut his mouth and leaned further back in his chair, conceding this.

"I...I was often on my own last summer, trying to let you two catch up and everything. I didn't mind...but..."

He paused, thinking about how he wanted to say this.

"Sometimes, certain odd situations can bring about other...er, odd situations. There's nothing you can really do to change it, it just...happens the way it happens. That's all there is to it."

He looked up to find Ron staring at him as if he had suddenly declared his love for Snape.

"I don't want to interrupt, Harry, but...what in bloody hell are you talking about? I can't understand a word of this."

Harry sighed and ran a hand through his untidy black hair. This wasn't working...he was just going to have to spit it out.

"Ron, while you and Hermione were off by yourselves over last summer, I ended up spending a lot of time with the only person who was available...Ginny."

Ron's eyes changed almost imperceptibly...he was starting to see where this was going, but Harry couldn't tell what he felt about it yet. Undaunted, he went on.

"She...she turned out to be...well, I found that she was very..."

"Harry."

At this tone of voice, Harry looked up at Ron and found him now leaning forward, his elbows on his knees and his hands clasped in front of him. He wasn't looking at Harry but rather was staring at his hands.

"Are you trying to tell me what I think you're trying to tell me?"

Harry swallowed hard, and Ron glanced up. His expression was still completely neutral, and it unnerved Harry. This wasn't the reaction he had been expecting.

"It depends on what you think I'm trying to tell you."

Ron continued to regard Harry seriously as he replied, "I think you're trying to tell me that you have feelings..._those_ feelings...for my sister."

He could obviously read the confirmation on Harry's face, because he leaned back abruptly and rubbed at his eyes, grimacing.

"Bloody hell," he muttered for what seemed like the tenth time in two minutes.

Harry stood up, unable to sit still any longer, and began pacing back and forth in front of the fireplace. He rubbed the back of his neck in frustration as he attempted to explain this whole thing to his best friend without sounding like a prat.

"Look, it's not as if I expected it to happen. It just...kind of snuck up on me. Believe me, if I could have prevented it, I would have...I knew it would just cause trouble sooner or later. I thought they were just feelings born of loneliness, and that they would go away once we got back to school...but they didn't, and it only got worse. I never meant to have to tell you this, and I know it's probably really uncomfortable for you...but there's nothing I can do about it."

He fell silent, suddenly realizing he was almost shouting at Ron...and feeling that this wouldn't do much to help his case. He turned to look at him, and found that Ron was staring at him with a weary expression on his face...and that to Harry's surprise, his eyes were alight not with anger, but with curiosity. 

"You really_ like_ her?" he asked quietly, furrowing his brows.

It was a serious question...and Harry was compelled to give him a serious answer. He owed him that much.

"Yes, I do."

"Why?" he asked idly. Harry knew this was very hard for Ron to get his mind around, and wanted very much to make everything clear - to Ron as well as to himself. He sat down again and explained,

"A lot of reasons. I don't know...she's so much more fun to be around that I ever would have thought before I actually started spending time with her. She...she's the nicest person I've ever known, and she's so loyal and honest. I...I don't know how I can say this so that it'll make sense, but...she understands me better that most people ever have."

He looked up somewhat sheepishly at Ron, who was still listening intently. He wanted to say more, but somehow he didn't think Ron would be too keen on hearing about how utterly beautiful Harry thought his sister was. How all he could think about every time he saw her was how badly he wanted to kiss her...

"Well," Ron said at last, breaking into Harry's train of thought, "I suppose I like you better than Fletchley."

Harry's eyes shot to Ron's.

"You mean...you aren't sore?"

Ron let out a breath and shook his head resignedly.

"Nah...not really. I suppose that maybe, somewhere deep down, I suspected it all along."

Harry smiled in sheer relief, and Ron returned it.

"I _do_ think you ought to tell Ginny how you feel, though, before she writes you off completely," Ron added, standing up and stretching his long limbs.

Harry stood quickly, shoving his hands into the pockets of his robes.

"You think she would?"

Ron cast Harry a look and grimaced.

"Look, I don't want to get involved in this. It's one thing not to fly off my rocker about it, but don't expect me to start giving you detailed advice in how to...well, whatever! You know! She's my _sister_, after all!"

Harry rolled his eyes and replied, his tone matching Ron's, "I know that! Why do you think I've been _killing_ myself trying to keep you from finding out!?" 

Ron shrugged and said, "Well, alright, then! So long as we're clear...anyway, that's all I'm going to say. Tell her. Otherwise, you're on your own."

"Thanks a lot."

They frowned at each other for a moment, and then Harry forced himself to relax. Ron was right...it was enough that he didn't disapprove of the whole thing, and Harry couldn't very well ask him for more than that. He silently cursed himself yet again for allowing his feelings to get out of control. Of all the girls he could have fallen for, he had to pick Ginny and therefore make Ron unavailable for dispensing of advice.

Harry thought about it until long after the conversation with Ron was over, and decided that he would simply have to catch her alone in order to explain himself to her. Steeling himself for what was certain to be a less than pleasant encounter with her, he stood and strode out of the common room with a single-minded purpose.

To find Ginny Weasley.

__

To Be Concluded in Chapter Thirteen

More Fic by Emmyjean at:

The Hidden Tower

www.hiddentower.50megs.com


	13. An Abundance of Third Wheels (Chapter Th...

Title: "An Abundance of Third Wheels" 

Author: Emmyjean

Classification: H/G, R/H, G/Other, Multiple POV

Summary: Ron and Hermione are finally a couple, and Harry is only beginning to realize his true feelings for Ginny - but is it too little, too late? Set during Harry's seventh year.

Spoilers: Through Goblet of Fire

Rating: PG

Notes: Everything belongs to Rowling.

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PART THIRTEEN

Ginny sat in the library, wondering how it would look if she were simply to run away from Hogwarts to the Burrow. All she wanted to do was bury her face in her own pillow for the night, with a mug of her mother's hot chocolate beside her. She whimpered pathetically and buried her face in her arms instead. 

How had all this happened? She had been attempting to work through a personal dilemma all year, of course, but suddenly it had turned very public. Harry and Ron were great prats, and they had forced her to hurt Justin when she had been trying so hard to avoid it. She hadn't believed that Justin felt that strongly about her, or she never would have allowed their...friendship, or whatever it was, to go on all year. Now, she felt like a tease and a...a scarlet woman.

On top of everything else, she would never have expected Harry to betray her trust like that. She had thought they had achieved something special over the summer, and she was proud to count him among her best friends...but not anymore. After what he did the night before...she didn't even want to think about it. It made her feel queasy.

Now, on top of everything else, he had gotten her detention. She frowned darkly to herself at the thought, thinking that he was a fool not to have simply waited until they were out of the library before demanding that she hear him out. True, when he had finally caught up with her earlier despite all her best attempts to avoid him, she had planned to use the fact that they were in the library to her advantage – it was a place where they couldn't be alone and they couldn't talk.

Little did she know Harry would simply disregard all generally accepted rules and try to speak with her anyway – and get them both in trouble with Madam Pince.

"Miss Weasley?" came a sharp voice from right above her head.

She looked up and found that it was Madam Pince, eyeing her expectantly...and that Harry himself was standing right behind her, watching Ginny closely. She gave him what she hoped was a dirty look, rather than pathetic, and stood up.

"By the time you two leave tonight," the librarian was saying strictly, "I want all of the books on these carts shelved – by hand, and correctly. I'll be back in an hour to check your progress."

Ginny's chest constricted as Madam Pince turned to leave. She was leaving them alone? Instinctively, she looked at Harry, almost expecting him to share her despair...but his face was lit up as though he had received an unexpected gift from someone. She felt her face grow hot...if he thought she was going to stand for this, he was sorely mistaken. The minute Madam Pince was out of the room, he turned to her as if to start talking...and she spun around and marched away from him, pushing a cart.

"Ginny..."

"I don't want to talk, Harry," she interrupted, ducking between two bookshelves, "We have work to do, thanks to you, and I don't want to make any more trouble for myself."

She didn't know if she actually expected this to work, but before she could think any more about it he was invading her little space between the two bookshelves, his brows drawn together in a deep frown. She wished briefly that she had pulled the cart in behind her, so that she would have a barrier between them now.

"I wish you would stop running away from me. You know we have some things to straighten out...what's the point of letting it drag on and on?"

She sighed loudly, and it was muffled by the books on either side of her.

"I don't know what there is to say, Harry. I need some time to myself, to sort everything out."

There was a brief pause during which she actually thought he was going to leave, but then he spoke again and his words cut at her resolve.

"You don't want to...spend time with me anymore?"

She turned to look at him and found he was regarding her steadily in the eyes, but he was emotionally preparing himself to take a blow. She could tell - she had seen him do this before, in other circumstances.

"Harry...I don't know what I want. I know this isn't what you want to hear, but...I need time to think."

He let out a quiet breath, and started shelving books out of her pile. After a minute, he admitted quietly, "I've come to depend on having you as my friend, Ginny Weasley."

They way he said it made her heart speed up considerably. He had never before spoken to her like this. It was almost what she would call...well, intimate. He moved closer suddenly and took hold of the books in her hands, pulling them gently away from her and setting them down. As he did, he continued speaking in that same tone.

"I look back on the times before last summer...before I really took the time to get to know you...and I can't imagine going back to the way it was when we barely spoke. You see, I...I don't think I could live with that, now that I've had something better."

She was riveted to the spot where she stood, but wanted with all her heart to turn and run out of the library and up the tower to her warm, safe bed. She couldn't even if she had wanted to, though, because he had effectively trapped her between himself, a wall, and two bookshelves - she was boxed in. She stared at his face, and listened to what he was saying, and thought that she had never heard him speak so seriously to her. It was almost as if he had planned this ahead of time.

"The thing is...I..." he faltered, and looked down at his feet. He gave a little, frustrated sigh, and suddenly reached out and took her hand. He didn't squeeze or pull...he simply held it loosely. Still, Ginny felt as if she was going to fall down or throw up - or maybe both.

"It scares me to think about a world where you aren't in my life. I want...no, I _need_ your friendship so badly, yet at the same time I'm not sure...I'm not sure it's enough anymore."

She swallowed, and he looked up at her nervously, trying to read her face with his brilliant green eyes.

"What isn't enough?" she nearly whispered.

He hesitated before answering, and finally replied, "Friendship."

She felt as if her heart were going to burst into flames...was he trying to tell her what she thought he was trying to tell her? This couldn't be happening, it just couldn't...after all the training she did to keep herself from ever imagining that Harry would feel that way about her, after all the effort she put into being able to spend the day next to him and not think about what it would be like to hold his hand - here he was, holding her hand.

"What are you trying to say, Harry?" she asked softly, needing it to be clear before she would dare to even begin thinking about it. She looked up into his eyes, and found to her amazement that the answer was in them. He had never looked at her like this before...ever.

His mouth worked to say something, but he couldn't seem to get the words past his tongue. Suddenly, he lowered his head to hers and she felt she was being electrocuted as their lips made contact. His hands came up to cup her face, holding her still, and she grasped his elbows out of a similar need to steady herself. Ginny felt as though every nerve in her body was suddenly oversensitized - she could feel his thumbs caressing her face even as his warm mouth moved over hers, she could feel his breath mingling with her own on her lips, and she could feel his nose brush against her cheek as he moved...all at the same time.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he pulled away and looked heavily into her eyes for any kind of indication of how she felt. She didn't know what had happened to her anger and frustration, because right now all she felt was that suddenly all the pieces of her life had fallen into place. She felt as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders...Harry had kissed her. His feelings were beyond second-guessing, beyond doubt.

"Ginny?" he ventured tentatively. 

She felt her eyes filling with tears and, so that he wouldn't mistake their cause, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him as tightly as she could in her trembling arms. 

"I always used to dream that my first kiss would be from you, Harry...I just never dared to believe that it could actually happen."

He didn't say anything in response, but instead wrapped his long arms around her waist and lifted her clear off the ground, burying his face in her neck. She could feel the cool of his glasses pressing against the curve of her shoulder, and used it to reassure herself that she _wasn't_ dreaming. They remained like that for awhile, the only sound in the silent library their soft breathing. Finally, Harry set her back down and pulled back so that he could look her in the face. He brushed an errant strand of hair from her forehead, and smiled warmly.

She returned the smile, and he leaned down to kiss her again, more deeply than before. She thought hazily that she could surely get used to being kissed like this by Harry, and tried her best to return the favor. She knew that this was not his first kiss by any means, but somehow it didn't bother her to be the inexperienced one. She was looking forward to being taught by him - and just maybe there were some things she could teach him in return.

Suddenly, the sound of the library doors opening forced them to break apart...it was Madame Pince coming back to check their progress. Harry muttered a curse under his breath and, giving Ginny a quick peck on the mouth, he ran quickly back to his assigned section. Madam Pince was not happy with the work they had managed to get done, and said that they would remain there until all the books were on the shelves - she didn't care how long it took. Needless to say, it took them quite a long time to finish the detention...they kept becoming distracted.

When they finally were done, Harry offered her his hand as they walked out into the hall. He held her hand tightly for the entire walk back to Gryffindor tower, and didn't even let go as they climbed back through the portrait hole. Ron and Hermione were sitting at the chess table, waiting up for them...and they both smiled when they saw Harry and Ginny's clasped hands.

"So, erm...everything worked out, then?" Ron asked Harry in a feigned casual tone.

Harry glanced at her as he replied softly, "Yeah...perfectly."

Ginny smiled at him, still trying to convince herself that this was really happening, and they both sat down to watch the chess game Ron and Hermione went back to finishing. 

Harry never let go of her hand.

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Ginny sat pensively on the steps as she watched Fred haul the last suitcase from the cottage and throw it into the magically-expanded trunk. She hadn't been able to sleep all night, but instead had lain awake listening to the gentle roar of the waves mingling with the chirping of crickets. She had spent the happiest summer of her life here, and had grown to take for granted the smell of the salty air blowing softly through her open window.

Ginny was certain that if she ever traveled across the world and saw for herself the places about which countless people wrote poems and did paintings, she would be hard-pressed to find a spot that would rival this little corner of England for beauty.

_Her eyes fell idly upon Harry, who was holding one end of a trunk he and Ron were lugging to the car. She smiled as she remembered all the pictures she had taken with her mind of the time they had spent together this past summer. She could hardly dare to believe it, but she had managed to become Harry's friend. This meant that she was no longer defined by what anyone else meant to him...she was defined in his mind as an individual. This was worth more to her than anything else._

Even if there were times when she had buried her head in her pillow and wished that he had done more than just talk to her beneath the moonlight. Even if she had sometimes harbored a fleeting hope that, while they were smiling into each other's eyes, she wasn't the only one who was taken with the romance of it all.

It's not going to happen, she thought. The difference between what that thought meant to her now and what it had meant before the holiday?

She was no longer bitter about having to admit that to herself. She was content with the gift she had been given...

...and now, "someday" didn't seem quite so farfetched. Smiling and waving back at Harry, who had spotted her sitting alone, she stood and went to help them bring out the rest of the things.

For once, she was excited about what the school year might hold for her.

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FINIS

More Fic by Emmyjean at

The Hidden Tower

www.hiddentower.50megs.com

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emmyjeanb@yahoo.com


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